Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2005/160

First Steps Toward a Cryptography-Aware Language and Compiler

M. Barbosa and R. Noad and D. Page and N.P. Smart

Abstract: When developing secure, high-performance cryptographic software, the programmer is presented with a wide range of problems. Not only must they be conversant with pertinent scientific results, they must efficiently translate said results into a practical context. Unlike when writing normal programs, they are given little help from either the language or compiler: both are typically too general purpose to offer domain specific optimisation or analysis that would save the programmer time and reduce the potential for error. As a step toward solving this problem we present CAO, a cryptography-aware domain-specific language and associated compiler system. Rather than being a panacea, we pitch CAO as a mechanism for transferring and automating the expert knowledge of cryptographers into a form which is accessible to anyone writing security conscious software.

Category / Keywords: implementation /

Date: received 2 Jun 2005

Contact author: page at cs bris ac uk

Available formats: Postscript (PS) | Compressed Postscript (PS.GZ) | PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20050604:043720 (All versions of this report)

Discussion forum: Show discussion | Start new discussion