TURING MACHINE ENCRYPTION SCHEME
Mahalingam. P. R
Abstract engineering. Cryptography is used in
This algorithm aims at developing a new applications present in technologically advanced
encryption algorithm from a basic TURING societies; examples include the security of ATM
MACHINE. A Turing machine is a basic cards, computer passwords and electronic
abstract symbolmanipulating device which, commerce which all depend on cryptography. In
cryptography, encryption is the process of
despite their simplicity, can be adapted to
transforming information (referred to as
simulate the logic of any computer algorithm.
plaintext) using an algorithm (called cipher) to
The operation of Turing machine is fully make it unreadable to anyone except those
determined by a finite set of elementary possessing special knowledge, usually referred to
instructions, such as "in state 42, if the symbol as a key. The result of the process is encrypted
seen is 0, write a 1; if the symbol seen is 1, information (in cryptography, referred to as
shift to the right, and change into state 17; in ciphertext). In many contexts, the word
state 17, if the symbol seen is 0, write a 1 and encryption also implicitly refers to the reverse
change to state 6;" etc. This algorithm tries to process, decryption (e.g. “software for
make use of this basic set of instructions to encryption” can typically also perform
perform an encryption. decryption), to make the encrypted information
readable again (i.e. to make it unencrypted).
Encryption has long been used by militaries and
INTRODUCTION
governments to facilitate secret communication.
We live in a world connected using Information
Encryption is now used in protecting information
Technology, mainly in the form of internet. But
within many kinds of civilian systems, such as
every technology has its own pros and cons.
computers, storage devices (e.g. USB flash
While internet provides you the information
drives), networks (e.g. the Internet, e
required at your fingertips, it has a big
commerce), mobile telephones, wireless
disadvantage that the privacy of data is at stake.
microphones, wireless intercom systems,
The whole concept of internet runs on a set of
Bluetooth devices and bank automatic teller
machines called servers (as the name indicates,
machines. Encryption is also used in digital
they provide service to us). The servers are
rights management to prevent unauthorized use
scattered all over the world. So, for processing
or reproduction of copyrighted material and in
our request, the data might have to be sent across
software also to protect against reverse
even continents. For this transfer, we make use
engineering (see also copy protection).
of different channels, both wired and wireless.
Encryption, by itself, can protect the
If we are using wired communication, we can at
confidentiality of messages, but other techniques
least give some amount of privacy since the
are still needed to protect the integrity and
physical line has to be tapped to get the data. But
authenticity of a message; for example,
if we are using a wireless medium, the chances
verification of a message authentication codes
of our data getting hacked are very high. This is
(MAC) or a digital signature. Standards and
since anyone who has the right hardware and
cryptographic software and hardware to perform
software to tune to our frequency can tap our
encryption are widely available, but successfully
signals. So, if we are sending the actual raw data
using encryption to ensure security may be a
itself, our data is hacked out for sure. This is
challenging problem. A single slipup in system
where encryption comes into play.
design or execution can allow successful attacks.
Sometimes an adversary can obtain unencrypted
CRYPTOGRAPHY & ENCRYPTION
information without directly undoing the
Cryptography is the practice and study of hiding
encryption. One of the earliest public key
information. In modern times cryptography is
encryption applications was called Pretty Good
considered a branch of both mathematics and
Privacy (PGP), according to Paul Rubens. It was
computer science and is affiliated closely with
written in 1991 by Phil Zimmermann and was
information theory, computer security and
bought by Network Associates in 1997 and is ChurchTuring thesis. The thesis states that
now called PGP Corporation. Turing machines indeed capture the informal
Cryptography is the practice and study of hiding notion of effective method in logic and
information. In modern times cryptography is mathematics, and provide a precise definition of
considered a branch of both mathematics and an algorithm or 'mechanical procedure'.
computer science and is affiliated closely with The Turing machine mathematically models a
information theory, computer security and machine that mechanically operates on a tape on
engineering. Cryptography is used in which symbols are written, which it can read and
applications present in technologically advanced write one at a time using a tape head; operation
societies; examples include the security of ATM is fully determined by a finite set of elementary
cards, computer passwords and electronic instructions, such as "in state 42, if the symbol
commerce which all depend on cryptography. seen is 0, write a 1; if the symbol seen is 1, shift
Until modern times cryptography referred almost to the right, and change into state 17; in state 17,
exclusively to encryption, which is the process of if the symbol seen is 0, write a 1 and change to
converting ordinary information (plaintext) into state 6;" etc. Turing imagines not a mechanical
unintelligible gibberish (i.e., ciphertext). machine, but a person, whom he calls the
Decryption is the reverse, in other words, "computer", who executes these deterministic,
moving from the unintelligible ciphertext back to mechanical rules slavishly (or as Turing puts it,
plaintext. A cipher is a pair of algorithms which "in a desultory manner").
creates the encryption and the reversing More precisely, a Turing machine consists of:
decryption. The detailed operation of a cipher is A TAPE which is divided into cells, one next to
controlled both by the algorithm and in each the other. Each cell contains a symbol from some
instance by a key. This is a secret parameter finite alphabet. The alphabet contains a special
(ideally known only to the communicants) for a blank symbol (here written as '0') and one or
specific message exchange context. Keys are more other symbols. The tape is assumed to be
important, as ciphers without variable keys are arbitrarily extendable to the left and to the right,
trivially breakable and therefore less than useful i.e., the Turing machine is always supplied with
for most purposes. Historically, ciphers were as much tape as it needs for its computation.
often used directly for encryption or decryption Cells that have not been written to before are
without additional procedures such as assumed to be filled with the blank symbol. In
authentication or integrity checks. some models the tape has a left end marked with
a special symbol; the tape extends or is
TURING MACHINES indefinitely extensible to the right. The symbols
Turing machines are basic abstract symbol are sometimes referred to as colors.
manipulating devices which, despite their A HEAD that can read and write symbols on the
simplicity, can be adapted to simulate the logic tape and move the tape left and right one (and
of any computer algorithm. They were described only one) cell at a time. In some models the head
in 1936 by Alan Turing. Turing machines are not moves and the tape is stationary.
intended as a practical computing technology, A finite TABLE ("action table", or transition
but a thought experiment about the limits of function) of instructions.
mechanical computation. Thus they were not In the 4tuple models the TABLE tells the
actually constructed. Studying their abstract machine to (ia) erase or write a symbol or (ib)
properties yields many insights into computer move the head left or right, and then (ii) assume
science and complexity theory. the same or a new state as prescribed, but not
both actions (ia) and (ib) in the same instruction.
A Turing machine that is able to simulate any In some models, if there is no entry in the table
other Turing machine is called a Universal for the current combination of symbol and state
Turing machine (UTM, or simply a universal then the machine will halt; other models require
machine). A more mathematicallyoriented all entries to be filled.
definition with a similar "universal" nature was A STATE REGISTER that stores the state of the
introduced by Alonzo Church, whose work on Turing table, one of finitely many. There is one
lambda calculus intertwined with Turing's in a special start state with which the state register is
formal theory of computation known as the initialized. These states, writes Turing, replace
the "state of mind" a person performing using the basic working of the Turing machine
computations would ordinarily be in. itself. Here, the data to be encrypted is taken in a
Note that every part of the machine — its state string and then converted into a character array.
and symbolcollections — and its actions — Then, the Turing machine principle is applied to
printing, erasing and tape motion — is finite, the array, considering the array as the tape of the
discrete and distinguishable; it is the potentially machine, with the array elements corresponding
unlimited amount of tape that gives it an to the tape cells. Then, the Turing machine can
unbounded amount of storage space. be applied. Here, we use a 5tuple. The elements
Every Turing machine has the same machinery. are:
What makes one Turing machine perform one
task and another a different task is the table of <istate, input, ostate, replace, shift>
transition rules that make up the machine's
program, and a specified initial state for the The ‘istate’ refers to the current state at which
machine. We will assume throughout that a the machine is operating. The ‘input’ refers to
machine starts in the lowest numbered of its the input character under consideration. The
states. ‘ostate’ gives which state the machine must shift
We can describe a Turing machine, therefore, by to and the ‘replace’ gives the character that
specifying only the 4tuples that make up its replaces the input at the current cell. The ‘shift’
program. Here are the tuples describing a simple can have three values. If it is 1, the head moves
machine. left (previous element is taken). If it is 0, the
<s0,1,s0,>> > head stays in its position (no change in element
<s0,0,s1,1> under consideration). If it is 1, the head moves
<s1,1,s1,<< > right (next element is taken).
<s1,0,s2,>> > The initial state and initial tape position are
When we are interested in examining the defined as functions of the length of the input
behaviour of a Turing machine, it is common string. Now, due to the toandfro action of the
and perhaps more perspicuous to represent the head, the tuples might act in such a way that the
machine using a state diagram. Here is the process goes on almost infinitely (atleast for a
machine represented in this format. long time). This can cause a very high rate of
delay during page retrievals. So, we have to go
for a controlled procedure. For that, we are
fixing another counter, which is also a function
of the string length, to iterate. Once the iteration
is finished, the encryptor automatically ends the
process.
The main advantage is that, unless somebody
knows all the combinations (for all the
acceptable input characters and the states), along
In this figure, states are represented by the with the procedure to get the initial state and
circles, with the unique double circle being the counter, it is very difficult to decrypt the code.
initial state. A transition is represented as an
arrow originating from one circle and landing at
another (possibly the same) circle. The arrows CONCLUSION
are labeled by a pair consisting first of the
symbol that must be being scanned for the arrow Till now, we have seen the algorithm for the
to be followed, and second the action that is to Turing machine encryptor. Even if it can be a bit
be taken as the transition is made. The action long at times, it can effectively encrypt the
will either be the symbol to be written, or << or inputs to a high degree of reliability.
>> indicating a move to the left or right.
THE ALGORITHM
We have seen what encryption and Turing
machine is. Now lets see how the algorithm
works. As seen earlier, the algorithm works
REFERENCES
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptograp
hy
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_ma
chine
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_
Turing_machine
5. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/turing
machine/
6. K. L. P. Mishra and N. Chandrasekaran,
Theory of Computer Science, 3rd Ed. ,
PHI: New Delhi, 2007, pp.277288
