Name
PC3. Cryptocurrencies, Security and You
Track
PreConference
Date
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Time
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Description

Session Description: 

Starting with Bitcoin in 2009, cryptocurrencies have gradually become more and more popular across the world.  At one point early on, there was a 10,000 BTC transaction that was used to purchase... two pizzas.  As of this writing, that amount in Bitcoin would be worth more than 100 million USD.  It's staggering to think that a digital currency is even possible, given the rampant presence of vulnerabilities and exploits on the internet.  Still, with some minor setbacks, cryptocurrencies have continued to be grow in value and popularity.   To a layperson, the whole technology is all very mystifying.  How does it even work?  Can my digital money be stolen?  What is a blockchain?  In this session, we will lecture on the basics of how a cryptocurrency works.  This will cover basic concepts from public key cryptography, as well as innovations in cryptocurrency research.  We will also run interactive demonstrations for the audience to participate in, which will hopefully illustrate more concretely how a cryptocurrency ecosystem functions.

Resources Required:  

Attendees should all have access to a Linux instance (virtual or native is fine).  Debian-based is preferred (examples: Ubuntu or Kali Linux), though any distribution with OpenSSL installed is sufficient.  Attendees should have a browser.

Learner Objectives
Topics to be covered during lecture:
  • The basics of public key crypto
  • Distributed consensus
  • Proof of work, proof of stake
  • The blockchain
  • Cryptocurrency mining
Security topics for discussion:
  • The 51% attack
  • Cold vs hot wallets
  • Keeping your coins safe
Interactive project #1:
  • Networked lab environment for participants
  • Minimally functional cryptocurrency
  • Python code to be run on all platforms
  • Brief walkthrough of code
  • Simulation of mining/transactions by participants
  • Discussion of cryptocurrency design
Interactive project #2:
  • Explore digital signatures
  • Create and verify transactions using signatures
 
Speaker Bio(s)

Jared is the Executive Director for the SecureSet CORE program. Jared enrolled in a PhD program in pure math at the University of Colorado-Boulder, studying number theory. Jared's research interests eventually shifted from number theory to cryptography, and then also to cryptocurrencies. After he graduated from CU in 2016, Jared joined SecureSet as a full-time instructor. His experience in cryptography and cryptocurrencies were immediately applicable as an instructor, as well as his experience with computer programming.

CEUs
8