Chaos-based cryptography

About the Project

These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.

We all live today in a cyber world. Much of the world data traffic is encrypted because of security threats, occurring among different societies, and within several societal levels. The threat is real, and it is escalating. The ability to connect, communicate with, and remotely manage an incalculable number of networked, automated devices via the Internet is becoming pervasive, from the factory floor to the hospital operating room to the residential basement. As we become increasingly reliant on intelligent, interconnected devices in every aspect of our lives, we do require a new type of cryptographic methods to protect our sensitive personal or institutional data, one that is sufficiently efficient in terms of security (passing not only standard statistical battery tests but also modern cryptoanalysis tests), but that is as well as light (low computational cost), fast (for real time applications), and with low algorithmic complexity. Recent works have demonstrated that chaotic systems are the key to create a cyber secure world for our present and future needs.

Application of chaos to cryptography has entered a new era, with applications spanning the protection of deep layers of industrial networks [1], tag generation for physical-layer authentication [2], encryption of images and chaotification [3-4], pseudo-random number generation for encryption and other technological applications [4-5], and secure laser communication [6]. Yet, there is still much scope to better understand what the limits of chaos to cryptography. This is the main goal of this project.

To that goal, we aim at breaking this complex problem in a set of smaller problems. Firstly, our goal will be to understand the crucial dynamical requirements for a chaotic system to support cryptographic systems that are the lighter. Then, the fastest, and then the less complex. I hope this knowledge can provide clues for the discovery of a class of chaotic systems that provide nearly perfectly secure chaos-based cryptosystems and that operates under a chosen set of constraints by design.  For example, either of being light or fast, but not complex, or being light only, or of being simultaneously light, fast and with low complexity.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting M Baptista (murilo.baptista@abdn.ac.uk)

Decisions will be based on academic merit. The successful applicant should have, or expect to obtain, a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) in Physics .

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to having a diverse, inclusive team.

Application Procedure:

Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php.

You should apply for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics to ensure your application is passed to the correct team for processing.

Please clearly note the name of the lead supervisor and project titleon the application form. If you do not include these details, it may not be considered for the project.

Your application must include: A personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts .

Please note: you do not need to provide a research proposal with this application.

If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at researchadmissions@abdn.ac.uk

Funding Notes

This is a self-funding project open to students worldwide. Our typical start dates for this programme are February or October.

Fees for this programme can be found here Finance and Funding | Study Here | The University of Aberdeen.