|
Public key encryption is an extraordinary recent development that has made internet commerce possible. It allows people to encrypt and decrpyt messages without having to share a password to unlock them. It is hard to believe that such a system could exist, yet this mode of encryption is widely used because it is so easy to set up.
This activity works with two people, but it's most exciting with a whole class, with everybody else trying to intercept a message sent between two students.
Other Resources
Curriculum Links
Public Key Encryption is the most challenging of the Unplugged activities, and is best suited for older students who have already completed Dominating Sets, Information Hiding and Cryptographic Protocols as part of an introductory course on cryptography.
-
-
Technology Level 3: Technological systems
- Understand that technological systems are represented by symbolic language tools and understand the role played by the black box in technological systems.
-
- Level I (Grades 6-8) Topic 8: Select appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and solve problems.
-
|
Computer Science Unplugged is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
