Security and Encryption

Part - 2
• In network security world
• B, A want to communicate securely
• T may intercept, delete, add messages
B
A data, control
channel
messages

data secure secure

secure data
sender receiver
receiver

T
 The language of cryptography
A’s B’s
encryption decryption
key key

plaintext encryption ciphertext decryption plaintext

algorithm algorithm

m plaintext message

3
 ROT 1 cipher
• This is a cipher familiar to many children. Its key is simple: each
letter of the alphabet is replaced with the following letter, so A is
replaced with B, B is replaced with C, and so on. “ROT1” literally
means “rotate 1 letter forward through the alphabet.” The
message “I know what you did last summer” would become “J
lopx xibu zpv eje mbtu tvnnfs” and so on. This cipher is fun
because it is easy to understand and use, but it is equally easy to
decipher if they key is used in reverse. This cipher is not suitable
for serious use but can be of great amusement for children.
 TRANSPOSITION CIPHER
• In transposition ciphers, the letters are rearranged according
to some predetermined rule or key. For example, words might
be written backwards, so that “all the better to see you with”
becomes “lla eht retteb to ees joy htiw.” Another transposition
key is to swap every pair of letters, so the previous message
becomes “la tl eh eb tt re to es ye uo iw ht.” Such ciphers were
used during the First World War and the American Civil War to
send sensitive messages. Complex rules of rearrangement can
make these ciphers seem very difficult at first, but many
transposed messages can be deciphered using anagrams or
modern computer algorithms which test thousands of possible
transposition keys.
 SYMMETRIC KEY (private key)

KS KS

plaintext encryption ciphertext decryption plaintext

message, m algorithm algorithm
K (m) m = KS(KS(m))
S

symmetric key crypto: B and A share same (symmetric)

key: K
S

• e.g., key is knowing substitution pattern in mono

alphabetic substitution cipher

6
 MODERN SECURITY
PROTECTION

• Modern encryption systems are digital. Ciphers

used are digital strings. Computers store text as
binary strings composed of 1s and 0s.
• In binary form “A” is written as 010000001. for
converting A into ciphered text it is multiplied
by a 8 bit key 0101 0101.
• Strength of this method is measured in terms
of length of key and various possible
combinations of bits.
– Strength of encryption technique depends on key length
– Known symmetrical algorithms
• Data Encryption Standard (DES)
– 56 bit key
• Triple DES, DESX, GDES, RDES
– 168 bit key
• RC2, RC4, RC5 (Ron’s Code/ Rivest Cipher)
– variable length up to 2048 bits
• IDEA –(International Data Encryption Algorithm) basis of PGP
– 128 bit key
• Blowfish
– variable length up to 448 bits
FLAWS IN SYMMETRIC KEY ENCRYPTION

• In digital age, computers are so powerful that

the ancient means of encryption can be easily
broken.
• For symmetric key encryption, both parties
must have same key and in the process of
exchanging common key, the key can be
stolen.
 ASYMMETRIC KEY (public key)

• Also called ASYMMETRIC KEY ENCRYPTION

• Here two mathematically related digital keys used:
public key and private key.
• The mathematic algorithm used to produce keys are
ONE WAY FUNCTIONS- IRREVERSIBLE FUNCTIONS.
• Private key is kept secret and public key is
disseminated.

STEP
1. Sender creates digital message.
2. Sender obtains recipient’s public key
from a public directory and applies
on the message.
3. Application of recipient’s key
produces an encrypted cipher text
message.
4. Encrypted message transmitted over
net.
5. Recipient uses his private key to
decipher message.
DESCRIPTION
1. The message could be a document,
spreadsheet etc.
2. Public key is distributed and can be
obtained from recipient directly.
3. Once encrypted using public key, the
message cannot be reverse-
engineered or unencrypted using the
same public key. The process is
irreversible.
4. Encrypted message is broken into
packets and sent over several
gateways, making interception of
entire message difficult.
5. The message is decrypted using
recipient’s private key(which is kept
secret).
 ASYMMETRIC KEY ENCRYPTION

Eg. Most common algorithm is the RSA (Rivest Shamir Adelman)

algorithm with key lengths from 512 to 1024 bits.
Limitations of public key encryption:-
• NO AUTHENTICATION:- No guarantee the
sender really is the sender.
• No assurance the message was not altered
somehow in transit.
• https://www.techcircle.in/2017/02/10/hitachi
-payment-confirms-2016-malware-attack-origi
nated-from-its-systems