Ruhr-University Bochum
Faculty of Computer Science
Symmetric Cryptography
Universitätsstr. 150
44801 Bochum
Room: MC 1.42
Tel: +49 (0)234 32-28402
E-Mail: gregor.leander@rub.de
Office hours: By Arrangement
Table of Contents
Publications
Please consult my google scholar profile or my dblp entry for an up-to-date list of publications
Symetric Crypto@RUB
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
ToSC - IACR Transaction of Symmetric Cryptography
- I also like to mention that I am the founder and managing editor of the journal IACR Transaction of Symmetric Cryptography, that transformed the conference FSE into a conference/journal hybrid. I created this diamond open access journal, published by the Ruhr University Bochum, out of the strong belief that (i) it significantly improves the quality of the publications compared to a conference-only model and (ii) the fact that we write, review and layout the papers already does not justify the cost and business model of most of the professional publishers in the area.
Organisation of Scientific Meetings
- 2024 EUROCRYPT , Zurich , program co-chair
- 2022 Symmetric Cryptography Seminar, Dagstuhl, co-organizer
- 2020 Symmetric Cryptography Seminar, Dagstuhl, co-organizer
- 2019 FrisiaCrypt, Borkum, general co-chair
- 2018 Symmetric Cryptography Seminar, Dagstuhl, co-organizer
- 2016 Fast Software Encryption, Bochum, general chair
- 2015 Fast Software Encryption, Istanbul, program chair
- 2014 EUROCRYPT , Copenhagen , general co-chair
- 2011 Workshop on Lightweight Cryptography, program co-chair
- 2011 Fast Software Encryption, Copenhagen , general co-chair
- 2011 Symmetric Key Encryption Workshop, general and program co-chair
Invited Talks
- Indocrypt 2022
- Santacrypt 2022
- IACR FSE 2019
- CTCRYPT 2017
- MMCC 2017
- Arcticrypt 2016
- China Crypt 2016
- Rumanian Crypto days 2015 and 2017
- SantaCrypt 2014
- LightSec 2013
- BalkanCrypt 2013
- WCC 2013
- Latincrypt 2012
Prizes and Awards
- 2022 SKINNY is ISO standard (ISO/IEC 18033-7) as a Tweakable Block Cipher
- 2020 IACR CRYPTO 2020, Best Paper Award and invitation to Journal of Cryptology
- 2015 Heisenberg Professorship, a prestigious funding line for upcoming leaders by the DFG.
- 2014 IACR FSE 2014, Best Paper Award and invitation to Journal of Cryptology
- 2010 PRESENT is ISO standard (ISO/IEC 29192-2) for Lightweight Cryptography
- 2010 German IT-Security Award (worth 100kEUR), first place
- 2011 Erdos Number 2
Teaching
see this page for a list of present and past courses.
Publications
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2001
Publications
Multiple Group Action Dlogs with(out) Precomputation
Alexander May, Massimo Ostuzzi
In: Preprint, Geplante Veröffentlichung.
Links | Schlagwörter: Preprint
@article{DBLP:journals/iacr/MayO24,
title = {Multiple Group Action Dlogs with(out) Precomputation},
author = {Alexander May and Massimo Ostuzzi},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/564, Paper },
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Preprint},
keywords = {Preprint},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {article}
}
How to Lose Some Weight - A Practical Template Syndrome Decoding Attack
Sebastian Bitzer, Jeroen Delvaux, Elena Kirshanova, Sebastian Maaßen, Alexander May, Antonia Wachter-Zeh
Coding and Cryptography (WCC 24), 2024.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Others
@workshop{DBLP:journals/iacr/BitzerDKMMW24,
title = {How to Lose Some Weight - A Practical Template Syndrome Decoding Attack},
author = {Sebastian Bitzer and Jeroen Delvaux and Elena Kirshanova and Sebastian Maaßen and Alexander May and Antonia Wachter-Zeh},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/621, Paper
https://wcc2024.sites.dmi.unipg.it/SLIDES/Bitzer.pdf, Slides},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
booktitle = {Coding and Cryptography (WCC 24)},
journal = {IACR Cryptol. ePrint Arch.},
pages = {621},
keywords = {Crypto Others},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {workshop}
}
Too Many Hints - When LLL Breaks LWE
Alexander May, Julian Nowakowski
In: Advances in Cryptology (ASIACRYPT 23), 2023.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Flagship, Rank A*/A
@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/asiacrypt/MayN23,
title = {Too Many Hints - When LLL Breaks LWE},
author = {Alexander May and Julian Nowakowski},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/777.pdf, Paper
https://iacr.org/submit/files/slides/2023/asiacrypt/asiacrypt2023/314/slides.pdf, Slides
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4USR_wlFpg8, Video
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8730-6\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\_4, DOI
},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-01},
urldate = {2023-12-01},
booktitle = {Advances in Cryptology (ASIACRYPT 23)},
volume = {14441},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
keywords = {Crypto Flagship, Rank A*/A},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
How to Enumerate LWE Keys as Narrow as in Kyber/Dilithium
Timo Glaser, Alexander May
In: Cryptology and Network Security (CANS 23), S. 75–100, Springer, 2023.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Others
@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/cans/GlaserM23,
title = {How to Enumerate LWE Keys as Narrow as in Kyber/Dilithium},
author = {Timo Glaser and Alexander May},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2022/1337.pdf, Paper
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7563-1_4, DOI
https://dblp.uni-trier.de/rec/conf/cans/GlaserM23.html?view=bibtex, bibtex},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Cryptology and Network Security (CANS 23)},
volume = {14342},
pages = {75–100},
publisher = {Springer},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
keywords = {Crypto Others},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Breaking Goppa-based McEliece with hints
Elena Kirshanova, Alexander May
In: Security and Cryptography for Networks (SCN 22), and Journal of Information and Computation, Volume 293, 2023.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Others
@inproceedings{DBLP:journals/iandc/KirshanovaM23,
title = {Breaking Goppa-based McEliece with hints},
author = {Elena Kirshanova and Alexander May},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2022/525.pdf, Paper
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ic.2023.105045, DOI Journal
https://link-springer-com-443.webvpn.synu.edu.cn/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-14791-3_1, DOI Conference
https://dblp.uni-trier.de/rec/conf/pqcrypto/KirshanovaMN23.html?view=bibtex, bibtex},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Security and Cryptography for Networks (SCN 22), and
Journal of Information and Computation, Volume 293},
issuetitle = {Test},
journal = {Information and Computation},
volume = {Volume 293},
keywords = {Crypto Others},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Low Memory Attacks on Small Key CSIDH
Jesús-Javier Chi-Dominguez, Andre Esser, Sabrina Kunzweiler, Alexander May
In: Applied Cryptography and Network Security (ACNS 23), S. 276–304, Springer, 2023.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Others
@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/acns/ChiDominguezEKM23,
title = {Low Memory Attacks on Small Key CSIDH},
author = {Jesús-Javier Chi-Dominguez and Andre Esser and Sabrina Kunzweiler and Alexander May},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/507.pdf, Paper
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33491-7_11, DOI},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Applied Cryptography and Network Security (ACNS 23)},
issuetitle = {Applied Cryptography and Network Security (ACNS)},
volume = {13906},
pages = {276–304},
publisher = {Springer},
chapter = {Part II},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
keywords = {Crypto Others},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
New NTRU Records with Improved Lattice Bases
Elena Kirshanova, Alexander May, Julian Nowakowski
In: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQCrypto 23), S. 167–195, Springer, 2023.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Others
@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/pqcrypto/KirshanovaMN23c,
title = {New NTRU Records with Improved Lattice Bases},
author = {Elena Kirshanova and Alexander May and Julian Nowakowski},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/582.pdf, Paper
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40003-2_7, DOI
https://dblp.uni-trier.de/rec/conf/pqcrypto/KirshanovaMN23.html?view=bibtex%20bibtex, bibtex
},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQCrypto 23)},
volume = {14154},
pages = {167–195},
publisher = {Springer},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
keywords = {Crypto Others},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Dlog is Practically as Hard (or Easy) as DH - Solving Dlogs via DH Oracles on EC Standards
Alexander May, Carl Richard Theodor Schneider
In: Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (TCHES), S. 146–166, 2023.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Area, Rank A*/A
@inproceedings{DBLP:journals/tches/MayS23,
title = {Dlog is Practically as Hard (or Easy) as DH - Solving Dlogs via DH Oracles on EC Standards},
author = {Alexander May and Carl Richard Theodor Schneider},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/539, Paper
https://informatik.rub.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Dlog_vs_DH-2.pdf, Slides
https://doi.org/10.46586/tches.v2023.i4.146-166, DOI
https://dblp.org/rec/journals/iacr/MayS23.html?view=bibtex, bibtex},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (TCHES)},
volume = {2023},
number = {4},
pages = {146–166},
keywords = {Crypto Area, Rank A*/A},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Partial Key Exposure Attacks on BIKE, Rainbow and NTRU
Andre Esser, Alexander May, Javier A. Verbel, Weiqiang Wen
In: Advances in Cryptology (CRYPTO 2022) , S. 346–375, Springer, 2022.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Flagship, Rank A*/A
@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/crypto/EsserMVW22b,
title = {Partial Key Exposure Attacks on BIKE, Rainbow and NTRU},
author = {Andre Esser and Alexander May and Javier A. Verbel and Weiqiang Wen},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2022/259.pdf, Paper
https://iacr.org/submit/files/slides/2022/crypto/crypto2022/70/slides.pptx, Slides
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15982-4_12, DOI
https://dblp.uni-trier.de/rec/conf/crypto/EsserMVW22.html?view=bibtex, bibtex},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-08-01},
urldate = {2022-08-01},
booktitle = {Advances in Cryptology (CRYPTO 2022) },
volume = {13509},
pages = {346–375},
publisher = {Springer},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
keywords = {Crypto Flagship, Rank A*/A},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Approximate Divisor Multiples - Factoring with Only a Third of the Secret CRT-Exponents
Alexander May, Julian Nowakowski, Santanu Sarkar
In: Advances in Cryptology (EUROCRYPT 22) , S. 147–167, Springer, 2022.
Links | Schlagwörter: Crypto Flagship, Rank A*/A
@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/eurocrypt/MayNS22,
title = {Approximate Divisor Multiples - Factoring with Only a Third of the Secret CRT-Exponents},
author = {Alexander May and Julian Nowakowski and Santanu Sarkar},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2022/271.pdf, Paper
https://iacr.org/submit/files/slides/2022/eurocrypt/eurocrypt2022/94/slides.pdf, Slides
https://youtube.com/watch?v=4USR_wlFpg8, Video
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07082-2_6, DOI},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-05-02},
urldate = {2022-05-02},
booktitle = {Advances in Cryptology (EUROCRYPT 22) },
volume = {13277},
pages = {147–167},
publisher = {Springer},
series = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
keywords = {Crypto Flagship, Rank A*/A},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Lectures (Moodle/Notes)
- Cryptanalysis (Codes, Classic 1, Cl. 2)
- Cryptography (Sym, Asym)
- Probabilistic (Basic, Algos)
- Quantum Algorithms (Script)
Former PhDs
Show names, year of graduation
- Önder Askin, 2024
- Floyd Zweydinger, 2023
- Lars Schlieper, 2022
- Alexander Helm, 2020
- Andre Esser, 2020
- Matthias Minihold, 2019
- Leif Both, 2018
- Robert Kübler, 2018
- Elena Kirshanova, 2016
- Ilya Ozerov, 2016
- Gottfried Herold, 2014
- Alexander Meurer, 2014
- Mathias Herrmann, 2011
- Maike Ritzenhofen, 2010
Calvin & Hobbes
Prof. Dr. Gregor Leander
Symmetric Cryptography
Professor / Head of Chair
Address:
Ruhr-University Bochum
Faculty of Computer Science
Symmetric Cryptography
Universitätsstr. 150
--D-44801 Bochum
Room: MC 1/42
Telephone: +49(0)234 32 28402
Office Hours: By arrangement
E-Mail: gregor.leander(at)rub.de
Publications
Please consult my google scholar profile or my dblp entry for an up-to-date list of publications
Symmetric Crypto@RUB
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.
ToSC - IACR Transaction of Symmetric Cryptography
I also like to mention that I am the founder and managing editor of the journal IACR Transaction of Symmetric Cryptography, that transformed the conference FSE into a conference/journal hybrid. I created this diamond open access journal, published by the Ruhr University Bochum, out of the strong belief that (i) it significantly improves the quality of the publications compared to a conference-only model and (ii) the fact that we write, review and layout the papers already does not justify the cost and business model of most of the professional publishers in the area.
Organisation of Scientific Meetings
- 2024 EUROCRYPT , Zurich , program co-chair
- 2022 Symmetric Cryptography Seminar, Dagstuhl, co-organizer
- 2020 Symmetric Cryptography Seminar, Dagstuhl, co-organizer
- 2019 FrisiaCrypt, Borkum, general co-chair
- 2018 Symmetric Cryptography Seminar, Dagstuhl, co-organizer
- 2016 Fast Software Encryption, Bochum, general chair
- 2015 Fast Software Encryption, Istanbul, program chair
- 2014 EUROCRYPT , Copenhagen , general co-chair
- 2011 Workshop on Lightweight Cryptography, program co-chair
- 2011 Fast Software Encryption, Copenhagen , general co-chair
- 2011 Symmetric Key Encryption Workshop, general and program co-chair
Invited Talks
- Indocrypt 2022
- Santacrypt 2022
- IACR FSE 2019
- CTCRYPT 2017
- MMCC 2017
- Arcticrypt 2016
- China Crypt 2016
- Rumanian Crypto days 2015 and 2017
- SantaCrypt 2014
- LightSec 2013
- BalkanCrypt 2013
- WCC 2013
- Latincrypt 2012
Prizes and Awards
- 2022 SKINNY is ISO standard (ISO/IEC 18033-7) as a Tweakable Block Cipher
- 2020 IACR CRYPTO 2020, Best Paper Award and invitation to Journal of Cryptology
- 2015 Heisenberg Professorship, a prestigious funding line for upcoming leaders by the DFG.
- 2014 IACR FSE 2014, Best Paper Award and invitation to Journal of Cryptology
- 2010 PRESENT is ISO standard (ISO/IEC 29192-2) for Lightweight Cryptography
- 2010 German IT-Security Award (worth 100kEUR), first place
- 2011 Erdos Number 2
Teaching
see this page for a list of present and past courses.