Mathematics applied to cryptology and
information security in Africa
Team leader: Tony Ezome
Affiliation: UST of Masuku, Franceville, Gabon
Contact: latonyo2000@yahoo.fr and tony.ezome@gmail.com
Co-team leader Inria: Damien Robert
Affiliation: Inria Bordeaux
Contact : damien.robert@inria.fr
Inria’s associated team : LFANT (Bordeaux)
Objectives
Public key cryptography plays a vital role in today’s communication infrastructures. It guarantees the confidentiality, the integrity and the authenticity of a message. Understanding the whole chain of cryptography, from the theoretical algorithms to the implementation of fast and secure protocols is a matter of national sovereignty.
The MACISA team (Mathematics applied to cryptology and information security in Africa) aims to provide a better understanding of public key cryptography from the point of view of algebra and geometry. It focuses on the study of algebraic maps, along two main themes :
- The first focus on arithmetic aspects: rings, primality test, factorization and discrete logarithms. On the effective side of things, it aims for fast generation of normal basis, and using residue number systems to speed up the arithmetic ;
- The second concerns the geometry, mainly elliptic and hyperelliptic curve cryptography. This theme focus on studying curves models and efficient addition laws, along with fast pairings and point counting computations. The goal of the team is then to use these tools to develop more efficient and secure methods for designing public key cryptosystems.
