Maria Eichlseder
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. BSc BScCryptology & Privacy, Assistant Professor
Maria Eichlseder is assistant professor of Cryptography at Graz University of Technology.
Her research interests include the design and cryptanalysis of symmetric cryptographic algorithms, such as hash functions and authenticated encryption algorithms and their underlying primitives.
She co-designed Ascon, a lightweight authenticated cipher that is among the winners of the CAESAR competition. She defended her Ph.D. sub auspiciis praesidentis in 2018, for which she received an award of excellence from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and a sponsorship prize of the Technology and Society Forum. Prior, she studied Computer Science and Technical Mathematics at Graz University of Technology.
Research
My research interests include the design and cryptanalysis of symmetric cryptographic algorithms, such as hash functions and authenticated encryption algorithms and their underlying primitives: permutations, (tweakable) block ciphers, etc. In my research, I am particularly interested in their “practical security”, which includes robustness against misuse and implementation attacks in addition to cryptanalytic security. I enjoy exploring mathematical aspects of cryptanalysis, useful tools and heuristics, and connections between cryptanalytic and physical attacks.
Online resources on selected research topics (see links for collaboration partners):
- Ascon, a family of authenticated ciphers and hash functions, winner in the “lightweight” category of the CAESAR competition and now competing in the NIST lightweight crypto standardization process
- ISAP, a lightweight authenticated cipher designed for robustness against side-channel attacks, now competing in the NIST lightweight crypto standardization process
- Malicious SHA-1
Teaching
I teach cryptography as part of several undergraduate and graduate courses:
- Information Security (lecture: winter term)
- Applied Cryptography (lecture and practicals: winter term)
- Applied Cryptography 2 (lecture/seminar and practicals: summer term)
Looking for a bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis, or project in symmetric cyptography, cryptanalysis, and practical security? Let us know, we’re always happy to discuss open topics!
Previously offered courses:
Service
- Editorial Board: FSE 2020 / IACR ToSC 2019/20, FSE 2019 / IACR ToSC 2018/19, FSE 2018 / IACR ToSC 2017/18
- Program Committee: Eurocrypt 2020, Latincrypt 2019, SAC 2018
- Reviewer and Subreviewer for over 40 conferences and journals