EAECRYPT TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING MODERN AND COMPLEX CRYPTOGRAPHIC ALGORITHMS

Nowadays, due to the rapid development of technology, new methods of securing the confidential information transmitted over insecure channels must be designed. For this purpose, new cryptographic algorithms were developed to ensure both data confidentiality and authenticity, which are called algorithms for authenticated encryption. In 2013, the Competition for Authenticated Encryption: Security, Applicability, and Robustness (CAESAR) competition started, which has the purpose to create a portfolio that includes the best authenticated encryption algorithms for widespread adoption. In this context, it becomes extremely important for developers to fully understand these new algorithms in order to efficiently and correctly implement them in modern applications. In this paper, we present a new eLearning tool, called eAECrypt, for students, teachers, developers and other users that are interested in understanding advanced concepts regarding new designed cryptographic algorithms. Our instrument allows users to read detailed information about these algorithms, learn how to implement them step by step and how to evaluate their level of security. It is a complex tool, which includes a variety of authenticated encryption algorithms (more specifically, most of the candidates for CAESAR competition). It also provides flexibility so that users can customize their own cryptographic algorithms based on the already existing ones. Moreover, it allows users to analyze the cryptographic properties of these algorithms, to determine their efficiency (speed) and to combine them together in order to obtain a more secure algorithm. It is an easy-to-use tool, which offers the possibility to learn and fully understand complex algorithms that are commonly used in modern applications.