8. Conclusion
Random numbers are omnipresent in many applications. They can be found directly as a source of randomness (lotteries, games), as a means of protection (cryptography, computer system security) or as a means of accelerating certain complex calculations (randomized algorithms, digital simulation).
Two main types of random number generator currently exist: pseudo-random generators (or PRNGs), which use deterministic algorithms, and truly random generators (or TRNGs), which exploit physical noise sources with chaotic behavior. These two types of generator correspond to different needs. In the case of PRNGs, we want an efficient software implementation, and in some cases, we want to be able to "replay" this randomness (e.g. stream ciphers). In the case of TRNGs, the aim is to guarantee that the sequences produced are totally unpredictable and non-reproducible (even in...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
This article is included in
Software technologies and System architectures
This offer includes:
Knowledge Base
Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees
Services
A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources
Practical Path
Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills
Doc & Quiz
Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading
Conclusion
Bibliography
Software tools
DIEHARD: statistical test library proposed in 1995 by G. Marsaglia https://github.com/nmondal/diehard.c
DIEHARDER: statistical test library more comprehensive than DIEHARD and maintained by R. Brown since 2003 http://www.phy.duke.edu/rgb/General/dieharder.php
...Websites
L'ECUYER Pierre. Professional page (numerous publications, software and references on PRNG) http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/lecueyer
Page of a group of computer scientists and mathematicians working on the mathematical, testing and software aspects of PRNG. http://www.random.mat.sbg.ac.at/
...Events
CHES (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems) annual international conference since 1999. The reference in hardware cryptography with regular papers on RNG (TRNG and PRNG hardware). http://www.chesworkshop.org/
Annual CryptArchi (Cryptographic Architectures Embedded in Reconfigurable Devices) study days since 2003, mainly European....
Standards and norms
- Secure Hash Standard (SHS). Federal information processing standards (FIPS) http://www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips180-4/fips-180-4.pdf - FIPS 180-4 - 03-12
- Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules. Federal information processing standards (FIPS) http://www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips1401.htm - FIPS 140-1 - 01-94
- A Statistical Test Suite for Random and Pseudorandom Number Generators...
Patents
Parker (R.D.). – Telegraph ciphering key tape machine. US Patent 2 406 031 (1946).
Directory
Organizations – Federations – Associations (non-exhaustive list)
ANSSI: French National Agency for Information Systems Security http://www.ssi.gouv.fr/
BSI (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik ) : German Federal Office for Information Technology Security
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
