Tutorial 08 – Security in Computing (The RSA Algorithm for Asymmetric Data Security)

Question 01. What are Prime Numbers? Why are they seen as an important part of
asymmetric cryptography?
Ans: Prime numbers are those number which gets divisible by 1 and itself. Prime
numbers are seen as an important part of asymmetric cryptography because the
difficulty level of inversing prime number is very high. The larger prime numbers take
enough time to get reverse. While decrypting a cipher text formed of RSA using key
of prime number gets huge time and very difficult to decipher the text. Prime
numbers are used to create keys. The product of prime numbers is extremely large.
Question 02. Briefly describe the mathematical concepts involved in Prime
Factorization and GCD mathematical notions.
Ans: The mathematical concepts involved in Prime Factorization is writing a number
in factors of multiple prime numbers. Numbers are written as a product of other
numbers.
For example: 32 = 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2
The mathematical concepts involved in GCD is largest divisible number. For example
we have two numbers as
30 and 36 then
30 = 1,2,3,5,6,10,15 and 30
36 = 1,2,3,4,6,9,12,18 and 36
Here the largest number that divides both is 6 so,
GCD of 30 and 36 is 6.
Question 03. Why is Primality Testing necessary for the asymmetric key generation
process of the RSA algorithm?
Ans: Primality Testing is necessary for the asymmetric key generation process of the
RSA algorithm in order to check the numbers either it is prime or not. Miller-Rabin
Algorithm is one of the algorithms that is used to test a large prime number for
primality.
Question 04. Provide differences between symmetric and asymmetric key
cryptographic algorithms.
Ans: The difference between symmetric and asymmetric key cryptographic
algorithms are:
In symmetric key algorithms a single key for both encryption and decryption while in
asymmetric key encryption requires two keys i.e., public and private
symmetric key algorithms provide only confidentiality while asymmetric key
algorithms provide confidentiality, non-repudiation and authenticity.
Resources utilize in symmetric key algorithm is low while in asymmetric key
encryption is high.
Question 05. List down the asymmetric key generation steps of the RSA
cryptosystem.
Ans: The asymmetric key generation steps of the RSA cryptosystem are:
Step 1: The two unequal very large prime numbers “a” and “b” are taken, i.e., a! = b
Step 2: Calculate the product of a and b, i.e., n = a * b
Step 3: Calculate the value, φ(n) = (a-1) * (b-1)
Step 4: Take public key exponent “e” such that, 1 < e < n and gcd (e, φ(n)) = 1
Step 5: Calculate the secret private key exponent “d” such that, 1 < d < φ(n) and e *
d mod φ(n) = 1
Step 6: The public key = (n, e)
Step 7: The private key = (n, d)
Question 06. List down the encryption and decryption steps of the RSA
cryptosystem.
Ans: The encryption steps of the RSA cryptosystem are:
Step 1: Get the recipient’s public key (n, e).
Step 2: Formed plain text message as a positive integer m.
Step 3: Calculate cipher text as C = m^e mod n.
The decryption steps of the RSA cryptosystem are:
Step 1: Get the recipient’s private key (n, d).
Step 2: Calculate plain text as, m = c^d mod n.
Question 07. Demonstrate the asymmetric key generation steps, the encryption and
the decryption steps of the RSA algorithm by providing a suitable example.
Ans: we have plain text (m) = 5
a = 3 and b = 5 then,
Key generation process:
Calculating the product of a and b we get
n = 3 * 5 = 15
calculating the value of Ø(n) we get
Ø(n) = (3 – 1) x (5 – 1) = 8
Now, for public key we have
1< e < n and gcd (e, Ø(n)) = 1
Then,
e=5
1<5<15 and gcd (5,8) = 1
5 = 1,5
8 = 1,2,4,8
Now for private key we have
1 < d < Ø(n) and e x d mod Ø(n) = 1.
Then, d = 5
1<5<8 and 5 * 5 mod Ø(n) = 25 mod 8 = 1
Now,
Encryption process

c = m^e mod n
c = 5^5 mod 15
c = 3125 mod 15
c=5
Therefore, cipher text is 5
Decryption process
m = c^d mod n
m = 5^5 mod 15
m=5
Therefore, plain text is 5.

Best of Luck