Event Title
An Application of Group Theory to a Cryptanalysis of a Certain Hash Algorithm
Location
Hart 116
Start Time
13-5-2010 1:00 PM
End Time
13-5-2010 1:30 PM
Description
Hash Algorithms take a large number of bits of information and "hash" them into a smaller set. Different types of hash algorithms are used for cryptographic purposes. Ethan Heilman has designed a cryptographic attack on some hash algorithms that repeatedly applies the algorithm, then studies the cycle structure created. To determine if it is computationally feasible to apply this attack, it is essential to be able to find the largest order of an element in the symmetric group in an efficient way. This is a problem which can be partially answered by brute force techniques and by Group Theory. We discuss some methods that provide some solutions.
An Application of Group Theory to a Cryptanalysis of a Certain Hash Algorithm
Hart 116
Hash Algorithms take a large number of bits of information and "hash" them into a smaller set. Different types of hash algorithms are used for cryptographic purposes. Ethan Heilman has designed a cryptographic attack on some hash algorithms that repeatedly applies the algorithm, then studies the cycle structure created. To determine if it is computationally feasible to apply this attack, it is essential to be able to find the largest order of an element in the symmetric group in an efficient way. This is a problem which can be partially answered by brute force techniques and by Group Theory. We discuss some methods that provide some solutions.