Cryptography and Network Security Notes
1. Security Goals
The five key goals of security:
• Confidentiality: Ensures data is not disclosed to unauthorized users.
Example: Encrypting emails so only the intended recipient reads it.
• Integrity: Ensures data remains unaltered.
Example: Checksum or hash values used to detect tampering.
• Authentication: Verifies identity of user/system.
Example: Logging into a bank account with a password.
• Nonrepudiation: Prevents denial of actions or messages sent.
Example: Digital signatures on emails.
• Access Control: Controls what resources users can access and in what manner.
Example: File permissions in an operating system.
2. Security Services (X.800 standard)
Service Description
Confidentiality Protection against unauthorized disclosure of informa-
tion. Eg: Encryption of data.
Integrity Assurance that data received is exactly as sent. Eg:
Hash functions.
Authentication Confirms identity of user or source. Eg: Password veri-
fication, digital certificates.
Nonrepudiation Provides proof of origin or delivery to prevent denial.
Eg: Digital signatures.
Access Control Controls access to resources and services. Eg: Firewalls,
ACLs.
3. Security Mechanisms
Mechanism Purpose
1
Encipherment (Encryption) Converts data to unreadable form to protect con-
fidentiality. Eg: AES, DES.
Data Integrity Mechanism Ensures data hasn’t been modified. Eg: Hashing
with SHA-256.
Digital Signature Ensures authentication, integrity, and nonrepudi-
ation. Eg: RSA digital signatures.
Authentication Exchange Verifies identity via challenge-response. Eg: Ker-
beros protocol.
Traffic Padding Inserts dummy data to prevent traffic analysis.
Routing Control Chooses secure routes in a network to avoid
threats.
Notarization Uses a trusted third party to validate communica-
tions. Eg: Timestamping services.
Access Control Mechanisms Restricts access to resources. Eg: Role-based ac-
cess control.
4. Introduction to Cryptography
Cryptography is the study of techniques to secure information and communications.
Two main functions:
• Encryption: Converting plaintext to ciphertext.
• Decryption: Converting ciphertext back to plaintext.
5. Classification of Cryptosystems
Type Description Example
Symmetric-key Cryptosys- Same key for encryption and de- AES, DES
tem cryption.
Asymmetric-key Cryptosys- Uses public and private keys; RSA, ECC
tem public for encryption, private for
decryption.
6. Cryptanalytic Attacks
Ways to break a cryptosystem:
• Ciphertext-only attack:
Attacker has only ciphertexts. Must deduce plaintext or key.
• Known-plaintext attack:
Attacker has some plaintext-ciphertext pairs. Uses them to deduce the key.
• Chosen-plaintext attack:
Attacker can encrypt chosen plaintexts and analyze ciphertexts.
Eg: Differential cryptanalysis.
2
• Chosen-ciphertext attack:
Attacker can decrypt chosen ciphertexts to gain information about the key.
• Brute-force attack:
Trying all possible keys until correct key is found.
7. Cipher Properties
• Confusion: Makes relationship between key and ciphertext as complex as possible.
Achieved by using substitution techniques.
Prevents attackers from deducing key from ciphertext.
• Diffusion: Spreads plaintext statistics over ciphertext.
Achieved by using permutation techniques.
Changing one bit of plaintext changes many bits of ciphertext.
Summary
Concept Key Points
Goals Confidentiality, Integrity, Authentication, Nonrepudiation,
Access control
Services Implement goals via encryption, hashing, signatures, authen-
tication
Mechanisms Techniques like encryption, digital signature, traffic padding
Cryptography Types Symmetric vs Asymmetric cryptosystems
Attacks Ciphertext-only, known-plaintext, chosen-plaintext, chosen-
ciphertext, brute force
Properties Confusion and diffusion for strong ciphers