Formally Assessing Cryptographic Entropy

Paper 2011/659

Formally Assessing Cryptographic Entropy

Daniel R. L. Brown

Abstract

Cryptography relies on the secrecy of keys. Measures of information, and thus secrecy, are called entropy. Previous work does not formally assess the cryptographically appropriate entropy of secret keys. This report defines several new forms of entropy appropriate for cryptographic situations. This report defines statistical inference methods appropriate for assessing cryptographic entropy.

Note: Cited Bonneau and Boztas for a previous version of working entropy.

Metadata

Available format(s): PDF
Category: Foundations
Publication info: Published elsewhere. Unknown where it was published
Keywords: Entropy Assessment Key Generation
Contact author(s): dbrown @ certicom com
History: 2013-01-02: last of 4 revisions; 2011-12-09: received; See all versions
Short URL: https://ia.cr/2011/659
License: CC BY

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2011/659,
      author = {Daniel R.  L.  Brown},
      title = {Formally Assessing Cryptographic Entropy},
      howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2011/659},
      year = {2011},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2011/659}
}