About the Book

Classroom Use

The material in this book has evolved over many years and is “classroom proven”.We’ve taught it both as a course for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduate students, as well as a pure undergraduate course for students majoring in our IT security programs.We found that one can teach most of the book contents in a two-semester course, with 90 minutes of lecture time plus 45 minutes of help session with exercises per week (total of 10 ECTS credits). In a typical US-style three-credit course, or in a one-semester European course, some of the material should be omitted. Here are some reasonable choices for a one-semester course:

Curriculum 1

Focus on the use of cryptography, e.g., in a computer science or electrical engineering program. This crypto course is a good addition for courses in computer networks or more advanced security courses.

  • Chapter 1
  • Sections 2.1 – 2.2
  • Chapter 4
  • Section 5.1
  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7.1 – 7.3
  • Sections 8.1 – 8.4
  • Sections 10.1 – 10.2
  • Chapter 11
  • Chapter 12
  • Chapter 13

Curriculum 2

Focus on cryptographic algorithms and their mathematical background, e.g., as an applied cryptography course in computer science, electrical engineering or in an (undergraduate) math program. This crypto course works also nicely as preparation for a more theoretical graduate courses in cryptography.

  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7
  • Sections 8.1 – 8.4
  • Chapter 9
  • Chapter 10
  • Sections 11.1 – 11.2