Cryptography study notes (1): Overview

Stury objectives:

• Learn how crypto primitives work.
• Learn how to use them correctly and reason about security.

Cryptography is:

• A tremendous tool.
• The basis for many security mechanisms.

Cryptography is not:

• The solution to all security problems.
• Reliable unless implemented and used properly.
• Something you should try to invent yourself.

Central theorem

• Any computation you’d like to do, any function F you’d like to compute, that you can compute with a trusted authority, you can also do without a trusted authority.