Compiler assisted elliptic curve cryptography

Although cryptographic software implementation is often performed by expert programmers, the range of performance and security driven options, as well as more mundane software engineering issues, still make it a challenge. The use of domain specific language and compiler techniques to assist in description and optimisation of cryptographic software is an interesting research challenge. Our results, which focus on Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), show that a suitable language allows description of ECC based software in a manner close to the original mathematics; the corresponding compiler allows automatic production of an executable whose performance is competitive with that of a hand-optimised implementation. Our work are set within the context of CACE, an ongoing EU funded project on this general topic.