Symmetric Encryption Algorithms in Cybersecurity - Essay Example

?CYBER-SECURITY Cyber-Security Affiliation Table of Contents Question No 3 Question No. 3 7 References 12 Question No Choose2 Symmetric Encryption Algorithms to compare and contrast. Discuss what they are, how they work, their advantages/disadvantages, and how/why it was created (did it have a problem or purpose it solved). For comparing two symmetric algorithms I have chosen Stream Ciphers and Block Ciphers Encryption Algorithms. Stream Ciphers is a symmetric encryption algorithm that encrypts the bits of data and information. Additionally, this type of encryption is performed on one bit at a time (or occasionally 1 byte at a time) of data at some particular time. In addition, the method of stream cipher is much quicker and it is easy to implement as compared to block ciphers, though; they have a significant safety issues. If the similar encryption key stream is utilized for a number of times; some types of attacks are able to reveal certain data and information (Network Sorcery, Inc. , 2011) and (Encryption and Decryption, 2011). On the other hand, Block Ciphers symmetric encryption algorithms is a way of data and information encryption that breaks down data and information into blocks and performs encryption or encoding on the data in every block. Additionally, a data block cipher encodes data in constant sized information blocks (usually the block is of 64 bits). In this scenario, the most commonly utilized block ciphers are AES and Triple DES (Network Sorcery, Inc. , 2011) and (Encryption and Decryption, 2011). Moreover, the design of a block cipher encryption is aimed to split the text into reasonably big (e.g. 128 bits) data blocks as well as encrypt every block in a separate manner. In this scenario, this encryption technique of every block normally relies on maximum one of the preceding data encrypted blocks. In addition, the identical “encryption key” is utilized for every data block. Design of a stream cipher encoding technique is about dividing the data into little (e.g. 1 bit) data blocks as well as permit the encryption of every block relies on a lot of earlier blocks those have been encrypted (Laud, 2010) and (Network Sorcery, Inc. , 2011) and (Encryption and Decryption, 2011). Question No. 2 Choose 2 Asymmetric Encryption Algorithms to compare and contrast. Discuss what they are, how they work, their advantages/disadvantages, and how/why it was created (did it have a problem or purpose it solved). For comparing two asymmetric encryption algorithms I have selected RSA asymmetric encryption algorithm and DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm). RSA asymmetric encryption is the most well-known asymmetric algorithm based on public key infrastructure, distinguished after its developer Adleman and Rivest, Shamir. Additionally, the RSA makes use of public as well as private keys which are the functions of a couple of huge prime numbers arrangement. In addition, its protection level is discovered on the basis of the complexity of factoring enormous numbers. The RSA asymmetric encryption algorithm could be utilized for both public key encryption and digital signatures. In this scenario, the encryption keys employed for encoding and decoding in RSA working algorithm are produced by means of arbitrary data framework. In addition, the encoding key employed for encryption is a kind of public key known to all as well as the key utilized for decoding the original message is user’s private key. Moreover, DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm) is a U.S. Federal Government established standard or FIPS used for digital security and secret signatures. Furthermore, this standard was established by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in the year 1991 for exploitation in their Digital Signature Standard (Encryption and Decryption2, 2011), (Pelleb, 2003) and (Sassaman, 2000). Encryption for secret key generation is extremely quicker for DSA that seems right if we analyze both the algorithms and their performance. In addition, the procedure of marking or signing is as well quicker for DSA, however not with a huge factor. In this scenario, RSA algorithm offers immense power which is confirming that it is a great deal of quicker than DSA algorithm (Encryption and Decryption2, 2011), (Pelleb, 2003) and (Sassaman, 2000). DSA is considered as a secure technique. Additionally, large size RSA encoding keys create a great deal of bigger signatures as compared to DSA keys of the similar length. In addition, DSA technology does not encompass encoding capability since DSA is only an algorithm used for signatures. On the other hand, RSA is able to perform both the tasks such as encoding the text and signing, although contemporary RSA PGP key (such as v4) are in fact the combination of 2 RSA encryption keys: where one key is used for signing purposes simply and another key is just used for data and information encoding or encryption purposes (Encryption and Decryption2, 2011), (Pelleb, 2003) and (Sassaman, 2000). Question No. 3 Discuss what is Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), how it works, its advantages/disadvantages, and how/why it was created (did it have a problem or purpose it solved). PGP establishes Public Key Cryptography in the web browser of each web based application client. A person named Philip Zimmermann received a huge private threat in developing PGP as well as enabling its accessibility to the people across the globe beside the powerful needs of the United States Government. However, PGP History started with the invention of this algorithm by the Philip Zimmermann during the year 1991. Zimmermann, working rapidly to hit the rules and regulations, developed the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryptions system formed on the basis of RSA public-key security management and cryptography algorithm. After that Zimmermann presented a PGP version 1.0 as free of cost software. After that Kelly Goen provided the PGP application against a number of bulletin board applications, plus soon after that it was available to the Usenet newsgroups where this application was made accessible throughout the globe (Zimmermann, 2011), (Shipsey, 2011) and (Orloff, 2011). In addition, PGP offers 5 advantages for overall security and privacy management. For instance, this application offers e-mail compatibility, privacy, users’ verification, segmentation characteristics and compression of data. In this scenario, PGP algorithm is recognized to offer a complicated procedure through which a lot of individuals have avoided its utilization in a lot of scenarios. However, the moment groups discover a procedure extremely hard to adopt, then they frequently reject its utilization and adaptation, still if the advantages are highly appreciated. In this scenario, accurately educating clients about PGP working capabilities as well as the optimal utilization and facilitation offered by PGP to solve some issues connected to the idea that it is extremely complicated to exploit in daily practices (Zimmermann, 2011), (Shipsey, 2011) and (Orloff, 2011). Question No. 4 Compare and contrast PPTP and L2PT. Explain as much as you can about them both, their similarities, their differences, their uses, their advantages and disadvantages, etc. PPTP Point-to-Point (PPTP Tunneling Protocol) is a technique utilized for developing Virtual Private Networks on some web based technology like Internet. This technique was built by Microsoft Corporation. After implementation of PPTP clients are able to distantly get admittance to the business/corporate communication networks using the services of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that corroborates the communication protocol. Additionally, PPTP is implemented at the data-link layer or layer 2 of the Open System Interconnectivity (OSI) communication paradigm. In addition, there are several types of network communication protocols and PPTP summarizes and transmits them over Internet Protocol (Difference Between, 2011) and (VPN blog , 2011). Moreover, L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol) is a tunneling communication protocol which permits isolated clients to get admittance to the widespread communication network. Additionally, L2TP allows a Point-to-Point Protocol communication session that can move through numerous networks as well as working connections. In actual fact, L2TP was acquired from PPTP of Microsoft and Cisco’s L2F (Layer 2 Forwarding) operational and working platforms based technology (Difference Between, 2011) and (VPN blog , 2011). L2TP/IPSec and PPTP are alike in offering a consistent transfer system to transmit PPP payloads. Additionally, it as well offers encapsulation or tunneling consequently that PPP payloads formed on some protocol and could be transmitted in the course of an IP communication network. Moreover, L2TP is much safer as compared to PPTP. On the other hand, PPTP is straightforward to implement. Furthermore, in PPTP communication data as well as control flows are alienated as L2TP transfers both flows in grouping (Difference Between, 2011) and (VPN blog, 2011). Question No. 5 Compare and contrast HTTP, HTTPS, and SHTTP. Explain as much as you can about them, their similarities, their differences, their uses, their advantages and disadvantages, etc. HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is implemented on layer 7 of OSI model which outlines that that how data and information are offered to the clients of the computer however it has no concern with how the data is transferred from Location A to Location B. Additionally, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) over Secure Socket Layer should not be bemused by S-HTTP and it was designed by Netscape to offer safety for typical page requests to load the page. In addition, HTTPS protocol is not a new communication protocol, however a group of the HTTP protocol with the SSL technology support, through which a communication page requests will be encoded at the web-browser and decoded at the network server end (Dotson, 2007), (rdweb.co.uk, 2011) and (ProProfs, 2011). Moreover, SHTTP is considered as an extension of the HTTP communication protocol that allows the protected transfer of data and information files with the help of WWW. Additionally, S-HTTP was built by Enterprise Integration Technologies (EIT) in 1999 to offer a protected communication between HTTP client-server communication frameworks. In this scenario, secure HTTP is intended for the entire realistic ideas of HTTP. However, the principal difference is that it makes use of TCP Port No. 443 on its optimal configuration; consequently HTTP with HTTPS are two different working and communications frameworks (Dotson, 2007), (rdweb.co.uk, 2011) and (ProProfs, 2011). References Difference Between. (2011). Difference Between PPTP and L2TP. Retrieved May 12, 2011, from http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-pptp-and-l2tp/ Dotson, J. (2007, July 05). HTTP vs. HTTPS: SSL is the secret to securely moving data online. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article/2007/07/http-vs-https Encryption and Decryption. (2011). Symmetric Encryption. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from http://www.encryptionanddecryption.com/encryption/symmetric_encryption.html Encryption and Decryption2. (2011). Asymmetric Encryption (Public Key Encryption). Retrieved May 18, 2011, from http://www.encryptionanddecryption.com/encryption/asymmetric_encryption.html Laud, P. (2010). Block vs. Stream cipher. Retrieved May 20, 2011, from http://www.cs.ut.ee/~peeter_l/teaching/kryptoi05s/streamkil.pdf Network Sorcery, Inc. . (2011). Encryption Algorithms. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from http://www.networksorcery.com/enp/data/encryption.htm Orloff, J. (2011). What are the Disadvantages of PGP Encryption? Retrieved May 14, 2011, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/list_5924278_disadvantages-pgp-encryption_.html Pelleb. (2003, November 12). RSA vs DSA Signatures - The Winner is... Retrieved May 18, 2011, from http://neubia.com/archives/000191.html ProProfs. (2011). S-http Vs Https. Retrieved May 18, 2011, from http://www.proprofs.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14857 rdweb.co.uk. (2011). HTTP vs HTTPS. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from http://www.rdweb.co.uk/http_vs_https/ Sassaman, L. (2000, May 18). DSA vs RSA . Retrieved May 17, 2011, from http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-users/2000-May/005657.html Shipsey, R. (2011). Pretty Good Privacy (PGP): Security for Electronic Email. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/rachel/CIS326week9.ppt#275,20,Slide 20 VPN blog . (2011). PPTP vs L2TP. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from http://vpnblog.info/pptp-vs-l2tp.html Zimmermann, P. (2011). Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). 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