We offer at least two projects per semester. Each project counts both as a "computer science project" and as a "security project".
Information on the projects is available each semester in the corresponding project fair. Further questions about the projects can be directed to jannis.leuther@uni-weimar.de at any time.
Summer Semester 2024
PKI from Scratch
A public key infrastructure (PKI) is a system which issues, distributes and validates digital certificates. PKIs are a central component in todays digital infrastructure. For example, when you encounter a website secured by TLS (HTTPS), this site will have a digital certificate which was issued through a PKI and can therefore be trusted.
A PKI establishes a system of trust, which can also be used in closed-off environments where it facilitates the use of digital certificates for many usages like smartcards, digital signatures or many-factor authentication.
In this project, we will set up our own PKI from the ground up and explore the concepts that are utilized in such a system and how a PKI can be used to advance digitalisation.
| Study courses | B.Sc. Informatik + Medieninformatik M.Sc. Computer Science for Digital Media M.Sc. Human Computer Interaction M.Sc. Digital Engineering |
| Requirements | Programming Skills Experience with Linux/Unix (we will use Ubuntu) |
SPHINCS Safari: Giza Treasures and Manticore Myths
Hash-based signature algorithms are promising candidates for securing communication in the age of quantum computers. SPHINCS+ is an example of such a stateless signature algorithm that gained popularity from the recent „Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardisation Competition“.
A major downside of hash-based signature algorithms like SPHINCS+ is the size of the signature itself, which is magnitudes larger than what other algorithms provide. However, there are recent alternatives to SPHINCS+ that are being developed to reduce the downsides while still maintaining the benefits of the hash-based approach. We will mainly (but not exclusively) focus on two such variants: Giza and Manticore.
In this project, you will work with experts on this subject to get to get familiar with these alternatives. Your task is to implement prototypes of these algorithms and analyse them regarding some of their benefits or downsides.
| Study courses | B.Sc. Informatik + Medieninformatik M.Sc. Computer Science for Digital Media M.Sc. Human Computer Interaction M.Sc. Digital Engineering |
| Requirements | Excellent Programming Skills Introduction to Modern Cryptography (or equivalent) |