CO2: apply classical and modern cryptographic basic for secure

communication in data transformation. (CDL1)

CO2-PART A
1. Dave frequently works from public spaces and connects to free Wi-Fi networks.
Recently, he noticed unusual activity in his email account after accessing his
email over public Wi-Fi. What type of cybersecurity risk might he have faced,
and what steps can he take to protect himself in such situations?
2. Why passive attacks are considered challenging to detect in the context of cyber
security? Provide a justification.
3. What is the avalanche effect in cryptographic algorithms? Why is it important?
4. Highlight the differences between substitution and transposition techniques in
encryption.
5. An attacker named Alex attempts to guess the password of a user named Sam by
sending multiple login attempts and eventually gains unauthorized access.
a) What type of attack is Alex performing in this scenario?
b) Suggest appropriate security mechanisms to prevent such an attack on Sam's
account.
6. Encrypt the message “MEET ME” using the Hill cipher with the key ( 7 3 )
2 5
Show your calculations and the result.
7. Encrypt the message "HELLO" using the Hill cipher with the key matrix
6 24
( ) Show your calculations and provide the final encrypted result.
1 13
8. Alice meets Bob and says, "Uif mjhiu". If she is using Caesar Cipher with key
29, what does she want to convey?
9. A message "ALGORITHMS" is encrypted using a substitution cipher where A
= Q, B = R, C = S, and so on. What is the ciphertext for the plaintext
"ALGORITHMS"?
10. Encrypt the phrase "HELLO EVERYONE" using the Vigenère cipher with the
key "PROGRESS". Also, decrypt the same phrase.
11. A company’s online banking platform is down, and users are unable to access it.
The system shows high traffic from multiple IP addresses.
What type of attack is this, and how can the company fix it?
12. What is the principle of perfect security in cryptography?
13. How does a brute force attack work in cryptanalysis?
14. State and explain Shannon's Theorem for perfect secrecy.
15. What are the components of Cryptosystem?
16. Define the key requirement for a cryptosystem to achieve perfect secrecy.
17. Discuss how multiple layers of encryption can enhance the security of a product
cryptosystem.
18. What is the role of confusion and diffusion in a product cryptosystem?
19. What is linear cryptanalysis, and how can it be applied to break a product
 cryptosystem?
20. Encrypt the message "HELLO WORLD" using the Playfair cipher with the key
"COMPUTER".
PART B
1. John needs to send a secret message to his colleague Sarah. He decides to
encrypt the message "HELLO SARAH" using the Playfair cipher and the
keyword "ENCRYPT". Encrypt the message and provide the ciphertext also
explain Playfair cipher encryption rules.
2. Maria intercepts a message from her colleague Alex. The ciphertext
"OXHQWLKWB" has been encrypted using the Playfair cipher with the
keyword "SECURITY". Using the Playfair cipher decryption method,
determine the original plaintext. Show all necessary steps involved in the
decryption process.
3. a) Tom receives a ciphertext "XQNK TGBA" and knows it has been
7 8
encrypted using the Hill cipher with a 2x2 key matrix: ( )
11 3
b) John wants to send the message "HELLO WORLD" using a Rail Fence
cipher with 3 rails. Apply the Rail Fence cipher technique and provide the
ciphertext.
4. a) Emma is working on a secure project and decides to encrypt the message
"PROJECT SUCCESS". She chooses the following 2x2 key matrix for
5 17
encryption: ( )
8 3
b) Mark receives the ciphertext "TQKSU FPQ UCUF" encrypted using the
keyword "CODE". Decrypt the message using the Vigenère cipher and
provide the plaintext.
5. Discuss various Cryptographic Security Mechanisms used to prevent security
attacks. How do these mechanisms ensure secure communication?
6. a) Let the message space be M = {a, b} with the probability distribution
Pr[a] = 3/4, Pr[b] = 1/4. Let the key space be K = {k1, k2, k3} with the
probability distribution Pr[k1] = 1/2, Pr[k2] = Pr[k3] =1/4. Let ciphertext
space C={1,2,3,4} be produced using an encryption scheme given in the
below matrix. For example, Enc(k3, a)=1or Dec(k3,3)=b.
a b
k1 1 2
k2 3 4
k3 3 4
Prove or disprove that this encryption scheme satisfies the definition of perfect
secrecy. (10 Marks)
b) Consider a two-stage encryption system where the first stage applies a
substitution cipher and the second stage applies a transposition cipher. If
the plaintext is "HELLO" and the substitution mapping is (H→M, E→T,
L→A, O→P), followed by a Rail Fence transposition with two rails, find
 the final ciphertext. (6 Marks)
7. Explain the CIA triad in Computer Security. Why are Confidentiality, Integrity,
and Availability critical for safeguarding digital systems? Provide suitable
examples.
8. a) A message is encrypted using a Columnar Transposition Cipher with key
"KEY". Encrypt and decrypt "ATTACK TONIGHT".
b) Decrypt the following ciphertext that was encrypted using a Rail Fence
Cipher with 2 rails: "HLOEL WRDLO". Explain your decryption process.
9. Describe cryptanalysis and its role in breaking encryption schemes. Compare
different cryptanalysis techniques based on their effectiveness.
10. Discuss the principles of Perfect Secrecy. How does Shannon’s Theorem
validate its importance in encryption?