These notes have been provided by one of our group members in the Study Notes and Theory study group, and I appreciate every word of it.
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Asymmetric uses different keys for encryption and decryption where as Symmetric uses the same key for Encryption and Decryption.
Encryption Algorithm also known as cipher
Symmetric Algorithm is either block or stream
Asymmetric algorithm is either discrete or factorization
Symmetric Cryptography key also known as private, session, secret and shared.
Key – is about how to use algorithm Keys are also known as crypto variable. Plaintext + Initialization Vector + Algorithm + Key = Cipher text
IV/Salt/Nonce– Adds randomness in cipher text/Password
Work factor – Time/efforts required to break a cryptosystem
Mono-Alphabetic Cipher – Caesar Cipher Poly-Alphabetic Cipher -Vigenère Cipher Both are Substitution Cipher
One Time Pad – Unbreakable Cipher if implemented properly. Digital Signature – Hash value encrypted with sender’s private key Digital Certificate – Senders’ public key signed with Digital Signature.
Computers can only generate pseudo random numbers and not pure random numbers.
Security depends on the secrecy of the key, not the secrecy of the algorithm.
Kirchhoff’s Law: Make the Algorithm Public and Key secret. where as in Security through Obscurity believes in keeping keys as well as Algorithm secret.
Symmetric Encryption
Cipher are either confusion based or diffusion based Confusion – makes relationship between cipher text and key as complex as possible Diffusion – dissipates statistical structure of plaintext over bulk of cipher text Substitution – replaces one character with another. This provides confusion. Permutation/Transposition – Provide confusion by rearranging the characters leading to diffusion.
DES Modes
ECB Least secure as it uses Secret Key (Static) Suitable for exchange of small data. No IV.
CBC It is a block cipher Uses IV and it has chaining. As it has chaining; it propagates errors during encryption process
CFB: It is a Stream Cipher Uses IV and chaining As it has chaining; it propagates errors during encryption process.
OFB: Stream cipher No chaining hence it does not propagate errors.
CTR mode: Stream cipher It uses counter and helps in parallel computing. No chaining.
Out of DES modes OFB and CTR has no chaining hence it does not propogate errors.
Block Cipher: Encrypts block by Block.
Stream Cipher – encrypts bit by bit Usually incorporated with hardware. XOR, Transposition, Substitution. RC-4, used by WEP and WPA; DES modes which ends FB (facebook) CFB & OFB and CTR mode; All others are block ciphers.
Cons of Symmetric Cryptographic
Out of band key distribution Not repudiation Not scalable No authenticity Integrity Pros of Symmetric Cryptography FAST.
Keys Should be properly destroyed on EOF (End of Life).
Link Encryption
Entire packet is encrypted Hence the packets gets decrypted at every node. If one of the node is compromised; then it may lead to breach in confidentiality. Works at lower layers. Data link layer. Helps when connecting two offices.
End to End Encryption
Only payload is encrypted and not the header. So the packet need not be decrypted on every node as header is not encrypted. Works at Application layer. SSH is an example of End to end encryption