CSCI 102T

The Socio-Techno Web

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Week 7: Encryption

For the sixth assignment we will continue the main writer / main responder format, switching roles from assignment 5.
This week we all will again:
• format our essays as HTML documents on our personal webpage.
• distribute our work by committing our documents to our own personal git repository.
• clone our partner's repository (after you are notified) and read their document on the web.

Goals

The goal for this week is to explore cryptography. We should all understand the technical basics, as well as the ways that cryptography has been used in the past, and how it is used today.

• Understand key encryption concepts:
• substitution cipher
• one-time pad
• public key cryptography
• digital signature
• integrity
• authenticity
• digest
• digital certificate
• certificate authority
• export controls
• Think critically about the role of encryption in society
• Be able to identify and clearly articulate positions argued by texts
• Utilize the web in our writing responses

Readings

Required Readings:

• BITS Chapter 5
  When you get to the section on public key cryptography, the following video might be helpful. Their color metaphor gives an intuitive description of how Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange works.
• DaG Chapter 11
• Distributing encryption software may break the law(2016)
• A Year After San Bernardino And Apple-FBI, Where Are We On Encryption?(2016)
• Inside Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Fight With the FBI(2016)

Optional Readings:

• Security Pitfalls in Cryptography (1998)
• How The Media Are Using Encryption Tools To Collect Anonymous Tips(2017)
• Forget Tough Passwords: New Guidelines Make It Simple
• Information about the "heartbleed" bug
• NSA denies report it exploited Heartbleed for years

Assignment

• Writing Prompt: The role of cryptography in society is a point of contention. On the one hand, cryptography is necessary to secure critical financial information, and strong cryptography makes E-commerce possible. On the other hand, encryption makes it more difficult for law enforcement to intercept and read digital communications, both for mass surveillance and the investigation of individual cases.
  There have been many attempts to regulate the use and export of cryptography by the US government, including the "Clipper chip" and built-in back doors. We have also seen numerous cases where the government and law enforcement demand data and/or encryption keys from private companies. What do you think the role of cryptography should be? Should cryptography be regulated, or made publicly available? Does society need more cryptography? Less cryptography? Less secure cryptography? Take a strong, decisive stance on cryptography's role in society, and provide support for your claims.


• Ongoing: As you read, please keep a list of questions that come to your mind that you want to revisit. This list may include things you wish the authors explored in more detail, open questions, confusing passages, vocab, etc.