Security in information technology is the dominant topic of our time and encryption has become the norm in many areas. To make cryptographic processes and applications secure, real random numbers are of fundamental importance, e.g. in the generation of cryptographic keys. The aim of this project is the development of random number generators and their evaluation by statistical means. Generators that obtain their random values from physical processes and are not predictable are called "True Random Number Generators", TRNGs for short.
Physical phenomena such as radioactive decay or noise in electrical circuits can be used as the basis for true random numbers. Random numbers that are generated algorithmically, on the other hand, are deterministic and can be predicted if the starting value is known. If the latter were to be used in cryptographic applications, they could jeopardise the security of the overall system. In this project, so-called "field programmable gate arrays", FPGAs for short, were used to investigate various sources of randomness, such as ring oscillators or metastable states.