Prof. Dr. Gregor Leander

My primary field of research is cryptography, more precisely symmetric cryptography. Symmetric cryptographic primitives protect a large percentage of today’s data, whether in transit or storage. Symmetric cryptography spans a wide range from theoretic considerations to practical impact in real world applications and I am interested in working on all ends. On the one hand, having a background in mathematics and a PhD focused on theoretical aspects of Boolean functions, I have certainly an intrinsic interest in the fundamental questions in symmetric cryptography. On the other hand, I have been involved in the design of ciphers and seeing them deployed massively in products as well as breaking and fixing ciphers already deployed in practice is a great experience.

I created the symmetric cryptography group at the Ruhr University Bochum in 2015 and since then my group has become a great place for new ideas, approaches, and fruitful discussions. We have regular visits that are a great source of collaboration and chances for the PhD students to build and deepen their scientific networks.