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From: NoXenu on 10 May 2010 05:26
On Mar 13, 9:07 am, cplxphil <cplxp...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I recently became interested in trying, in my spare time, to develop a
> cryptosystem.  I have some math/CS training, and a degree in
> mathematics.  What do I need to know to design a cryptosystem?  What
> steps are involved?  I would assume designing the protocol and then
> modifying it based on how easy it is to attack would be some of the
> steps.
>
> Is there a book that details what I need to know/do?
>
> Thanks,
> Phil

Grab hold of this book: "A Course in Number Theory and Cryptography"
by Neil Koblitz and you will get a fairly good idea of the topic.
Given your math background, I think it will be quite enjoyable for
you.
From: Paul Rubin on 10 May 2010 13:51
cplxphil <cplxphil(a)gmail.com> writes:
> Is there a book that details what I need to know/do?

I suggest Bellare and Rogaway's lecture notes. Koblitz's book suggested
by NoXenu is also good, but is more about the mathematics of crypto
primitives and how they work. Building a system is more about
understanding what the primitives do (rather than how they work) and how
to combine them.

url: http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~mihir/cse207/classnotes.html
From: Scott Contini on 10 May 2010 21:10
On Mar 13, 2:30 pm, "J.D." <degolyer...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Mar 12, 11:07 pm, cplxphil <cplxp...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
>
> > I recently became interested in trying, in my spare time, to develop a
> > cryptosystem.  I have some math/CS training, and a degree in
> > mathematics.  What do I need to know to design a cryptosystem?  What
> > steps are involved?  I would assume designing the protocol and then
> > modifying it based on how easy it is to attack would be some of the
> > steps.
>
> > Is there a book that details what I need to know/do?
>
> > Thanks,
> > Phil
>
> This advice is a little dated now, but most of it still seems valid:http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-9810.html#cipherdesign
>
> If there was one thing that would best prepare you for designing a
> cipher that is worth a damn, it would probably be getting good at
> breaking ciphers.  Which doesn't just mean reading about how other
> people have broken ciphers -- it means figuring out on your own how to
> break ciphers without 'looking at the answers' (so to speak).  Once
> you have developed that skill, only then can you approach your own
> designs from the perspective of a competent attacker, and thus see
> flaws and weaknesses and the best ways to correct them.  One place to
> start learning how to break ciphers is here:http://www.schneier.com/paper-self-study.html

You got a lot of different replies, but I think JD's advice is the
right place to start.

Scott
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