Course Calendar
6.5610 covers applied cryptography and computer security in four parts symmetric-key crypto, public-key crypto, and advanced topics. We will also have recitations and project presentations.
Lectures: MW11-12:30 (6-120)
Recitation: F11 (1-190)
Office hours: See Piazza.
Lecture videos: Available here
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| feb 6 History and one-time pad (Lecture 1, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapter 2-2.1 First day of classes |
feb 7 | feb 8 A first primitive: PRFs (Lecture 2, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapter 4.4 |
feb 9 | feb 10 Complexity review (Recitation 1) Optional reading: BS Chapter 2.3 Registration deadline |
| feb 13 Intro to encryption (Lecture 3, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapter 2.2 and for CPA security BS Chapter 5 |
feb 14 Published: Pset 1 |
feb 15 Authentication & MACs (Lecture 4, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapter 6-6.3 |
feb 16 | feb 17 Group theory (Recitation 2) Optional reading: BS Chapter 10.5 |
| feb 20 Presidents' day |
feb 21 CCA and auth. encryption (Lecture 5, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapter 10.5 Monday classes held |
feb 22 Core primitives: AES, etc. (Lecture 6, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapter 4.2 |
feb 23 | feb 24 Choosing a project topic (Recitation 3) DUE: Pset 1 |
| feb 27 Key exchange (Lecture 7, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapter 10-10.2 Number theory review |
feb 28 Published: Pset 2 Discuss your final project with TAs |
mar 1 Public-key encryption (Lecture 8, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapter 11 Discuss your final project with TAs |
mar 2 Discuss your final project with TAs |
mar 3 Review (Recitation 4) Discuss your final project with TAs |
| mar 6 Identification schemes (Lecture 9, hcg) DUE: Post one or more project ideas on Piazza Optional reading: BS Chapters 18.2 and 19.1 |
mar 7 | mar 8 Digital signatures (Lecture 10, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapter 19.2 |
mar 9 | mar 10 Review (Recitation 5) DUE: Turn in team membership DUE: Pset 2 ADD DATE |
| mar 13 Hashing: Applications (Lecture 11, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapter 8.1 |
mar 14 Published: Pset 3 |
mar 15 Hashing: Constructions (Lecture 12, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapters 8.4 and 8.8 |
mar 16 | mar 17 Review (Recitation 6) DUE: Project proposal and bibliography due |
| mar 20 RSA (Lecture 13, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapters 10.2-10.3 |
mar 21 | mar 22 Attacks on RSA (Lecture 14, hcg) |
mar 23 | mar 24 Review (Recitation 7) DUE: Pset 3 |
| mar 27 Spring break |
mar 28 Spring break |
mar 29 Spring break |
mar 30 Spring break |
mar 31 Spring break |
| apr 3 Bilinear maps (Lecture 15, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapters 15.4-15.6 |
apr 4 | apr 5 Midterm quiz |
apr 6 | apr 7 Review (Recitation 8) |
| apr 10 Guest Lecture: Jim Bidzos (Lecture 16, guest) |
apr 11 Published: Pset 4 |
apr 12 Guest lecture: Ron Rivest (Lecture 17, guest) |
apr 13 | apr 14 Review (Recitation 9) |
| apr 17 Patriots' day |
apr 18 Discuss your project progress with TAs |
apr 19 Secret sharing (Lecture 18, hcg) Optional reading: BS Chapter 22.1 Discuss your project progress with TAs |
apr 20 Discuss your project progress with TAs |
apr 21 Review (Recitation 10) DUE: Pset 4 Discuss your project progress with TAs |
| apr 24 Zero knowledge (Lecture 19, yk) Optional reading: BS Chapter 20 |
apr 25 DROP DATE |
apr 26 Succinct proofs (Lecture 20, yk) |
apr 27 | apr 28 Review (Recitation 11) |
| may 1 FHE and PQ cryptography (Lecture 21, yk) |
may 2 | may 3 Conclusion (Lecture 22, hcg) |
may 4 | may 5 |
| may 8 Project presentations (Lecture 23, None) |
may 9 | may 10 Project presentations (Lecture 24, None) |
may 11 | may 12 |
| may 15 Project presentations (Lecture 25, None) |
may 16 DUE: Final projects due Last day of classes |
may 17 | may 18 | may 19 Final exam period |
| may 22 Final exam period |
may 23 Final exam period |
may 24 Final exam period |
may 25 | may 26 |
Course website design courtesy of PDOS and Katrina LaCurts.