Qin 1

Edward Qin
Sarah Ghasedi
ENGL 288
February 20, 2022

Proposal: Project RSA

Introduction:

Every day, we send emails, make purchases, and browse the web. To maintain security and

privacy, we rely on cryptography to ensure the transactions and messages sent across insecure

webs are protected.

To address this topic, I propose Project RSA. By creating a wiki to inform undergraduate

students about the history of cryptography, how the RSA algorithm works, and why it is

significant, we can inspire students to continue to research advanced methods for our security.

In this proposal, I will first describe why there is a need for a student-targeted wiki about RSA,

as well as its benefits and feasibility. I will then detail the nuances of the project, including an

analysis of the task and audience, as well as how the project will be implemented.

Background on the problem, opportunity, or situation:

Most people do not know how the security of the web they use every day works. However,

cybersecurity and cryptography have become more important, preventing hackers from

ransoming hospitals and businesses, and becoming more advanced as nations become more

hostile with one another. As such, it is imperative for us to continue to advance our

cryptographic systems, maintaining security.

Essentially, cryptography is defined as the “study of secure communications techniques that

allow only the sender and intended recipient of a message to view its contents” ("Cryptography

Definition"). It ensures that data is kept secure, only accessible for the sender and intended

recipient.

One such algorithm that encrypts data is RSA, which is an acronym for the three people who

publicly described the algorithm in 1977, Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman ("RSA (cryptosystem)").

It uses large prime numbers as keys, where each person holds a public and private key for

encrypting and decrypting, and is secure because is it difficult to compute factors with large

prime numbers.

Benefits and feasibility of the proposed project:

The direct benefits of an informational wiki that introduces and explains RSA to students is that

students become more educated about cryptography. This then indirectly benefits all Internet

users because cryptography research is strengthened, resulting in more advanced cryptosystems

that protect our information and security.

The project is very feasible. It involves in-depth research from the UW Engineering and Math

libraries, as well as relevant news articles. Coupled with my writing skills, the wiki will feel easy

to read and accessible to students.

Description of the proposed work (results of the project):

A wiki is most appropriate for the project. It is a straight-to-the-point technical genre that is well-

organized and easily accessed on the internet. It is especially appealing for university students

who are looking for a simple yet informative document to reference.

The RSA Project wiki will begin with a brief introduction and the history of cryptography. The

bulk of the wiki will then involve an explanation of RSA, with a section explaining public key

cryptography in general, and another for a proof why RSA works. Other RSA extensions and

algorithms will also be explored, and the final section will involve further applications and issues

for the future.

An analysis on the audience yields an understanding of the primary audience: undergraduate

students who are familiar with some number theory and computing concepts, and who are

interested in quickly learning more about cryptography. The wiki may be found by people who

are searching for information about RSA, how it works, and how it is used. The audience’s

attitude is curious, and they expect to learn, using the wiki like an encyclopedia entry, as both a

brief introduction to cryptography and an in-depth description of the RSA algorithm and

cryptography.

The task of the wiki is to help the audience learn about a subject – in particular, how RSA works

and its further implications. The audience should feel inspired, hoping to learn more about RSA

from the wiki.

Method and Schedule:

Steps for the work includes research, draft-writing, revision, and possibly pushing the wiki to a

website. Research involves understanding the RSA algorithm and its applications, as well as the

context of cryptography. I will then write a draft with organization under headings appropriate

for a wiki. Revision will refine the information and its presentation for the audience.

Information Gathered:
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The history of cryptography predominantly involves the use of polyalphabetic ciphers

(combination of Caesar cipher and substitution cipher) in the pre-computer age (Hoffstein).

Public Key Cryptography is then first introduced and is defined to be strong from 3 properties of

strong ciphers (based on plaintext, key, and ciphertext) (Hoffstein). A more secure concept then

originates from asymmetric ciphers with Diffie-Helman Key Exchange (Hoffstein).

The RSA algorithm works through key generation using Euler’s or Carmichael’s totient function

(“RSA (cryptosystem)”). There is also primality testing (Hoffstein) that tests if numbers are truly

prime, which can be used to speed up key generation.

The applications of RSA include its use in the ISO protocol (Schneier), as well as digital

signatures that authenticate the sender (Hoffstein).

RSA is not a forever secure and efficient algorithm. Its optimizations include using small RSA

exponents (Hinek). Q-day, the day when quantum computers come to exist, would break also

many current algorithms, calling for theorists to develop more secure algorithms (Castelvecchi).

Conclusions:

Project RSA will be a medium of information that can inspire all any student to delve deeper into

understanding cryptography and its research and development. RSA is an example of a useful

application of math, and it benefits business and country. The costs for this project are also low,

and I believe that I have both the necessary research experience and writing skills to write a

coherent wiki.

Please contact me at [email protected] for more information about the project.

Works Cited

Castelvecchi, David. "The race to save the Internet from quantum hackers." Nature, 8 Feb. 2022,

www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00339-5.

"Cryptography Definition." Kaspersky, www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-

cryptography. Accessed 19 Feb. 2022.

Hinek, M. Jason. "Another Look at Small RSA Exponents." Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2006,

edited by David Pointcheval, Springer, 2006, pp. 82-98.

Hoffstein, Jeffery, et al. An Introduction to Mathematical Cryptography. Edited by Sheldon Axler

and Kenneth Ribet, 2nd ed., Springer, 2014.

"RSA (cryptosystem)." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSA_(cryptosystem). Accessed 12 Feb.

2022.

Schneier, Bruce. Applied Cryptography. Edited by Phil Sutherland, 1.2, John Wiley & Sons, 1996.