Project Abstract

I chose to do this project because I am interested in the security side of computer science. Reading about RSA, I found myself surprised at the importance of RSA, having not really researched it previously and through conversations with friends I found that they also did not realise it’s importance. Therefore, I decided to attempt to create a comprehensive document containing all the information a reader would want to build a strong knowledge base for RSA. The main method I have employed throughout my project is summarising key information about the different aspects of RSA and attacks used against it, then using peer-reviewed sources to validate the information provided. The main aim of my project is to create a document that allows anybody with knowledge of algorithms and math to read it and gain an understanding of RSA, the security features it has and a demonstration of what happens when these features are not implemented correctly, through examples of attacks. For the project, I have produced a written dissertation which provides information on RSA, the different types of attacks against it, implementations of one of these attacks using two different algorithms and finally implementations of both a weakened RSA algorithm and a strong RSA algorithm. In conclusion, while not providing any new or ground-breaking research, my project can serve as an important and useful document to any person with a need to learn about RSA and its features, which could range from a person merely interested in security to a computer science student needing to know about RSA and attacks against it for a module.

Keywords: RSA, Attacking encryption algorithms, Public Key Cryptography

 Conference Details

Session: Poster Session A at Poster Stand 51

Location: Sir Stanley Clarke Auditorium at Tuesday 7th 13:30 – 17:00

Markers: Eike Neumann, Hans Ren

Course: BSc Computer Science, 3rd Year

Future Plans: I’m undecided