AUTHENTICATION AND ENCRYPTION TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER 5

AUTHENTICATION
A process of verifying that a file or message has not been altered along the way that file was sent in the network. Authentication is commonly done through the use of logon passwords. A way to prove to one entity that another entity is who it claims to be. Authentication needs differs by Application: More sensitive data, requires stronger authentication

ENCRYPTION
The technique of converting data to a format that is meaningless to anyone who does not have the proper key. A good method of protecting data transmitted over the Internet.

CRYPTOGRAPHIC TERMINOLOGIES
Encryption
A process of converting a data into a form that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people

Decryption
Process to convert the ciphertext into the plaintext. Decryption requires a secret key or password

Ciphertext
The disguised (encrypted) file or message that could not been read directly

Plaintext
Original text

Cryptanalysis
The study of principles and methods of transforming an unintelligible message back into an intelligible message without knowledge of the key

ENCRYPTION
ENCRYPT PLAINTEXT PLAINTEXT DENCRYPT

PLAINTEXT

ENCRYPTION
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T

Plaintext: LITTLE GREEN APPLES Chipertext: FCNNF5 AL55H IJJF5M

TYPES OF ENCRYPTION
Symmetric Key Encryption Asymmetric Key Encryption

SYMETRIC KEY ENCRIPTION

Based on single key. Private key or secret key. Algorithm is being shared between the parties who are exchanging encrypted information. The same key both encrypts and decrypts messages.

SYMMETRIC KEY
Advantages Fast Disadvantages Requires secret sharing

Relatively Secure
Widely understood

Complex administration
No authentication

No nonrepudiation

EXAMPLE SYMMETRIC KEY

Data Encryption Standard (DES) International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) CAST Rivest Cipher #4 (RC4)

ASYMMETRIC KEY
Whitfield Diffe and Martin Hellman Stanford University (1976). Public cryptography. Uses two keys Public and Private.

ASYMMETRIC KEY
Advantages No secret sharing necessary Slower Disadvantages

Authentication supported
Provides nonrepudiation

Certificate authority required

Scalable

EXAMPLE OF ASYMMETRIC KEY

Diffie-Helman Rivest, Shamir, Adelman (RSA) Digital Signature Algorithm A Slight Digression Message Intergrity MD4 MD5 Secure Hash Algorithm-1 (SHA-1) RIPEMD