Assignment No.

01
Semester: Spring 2024 Total Marks: 50
CS707: Network Security Due Date: April 30, 2024

Question 1 (20 Marks)

You have received an encrypted message that was encoded using a substitution cipher. The cipher text is as follows:

VHFKR FRQILGHQWLDO
Your task is to decrypt this message. To assist you in deciphering the cipher, you are provided with one hint:
Hint:
In this particular cipher, the letter 'A' has been replaced with 'D'. This reveals that the encryption key involves shifting the alphabet by a certain
number of places. Use this hint to unlock the original message. Your task is to provide a detailed explanation of the process you utilized to
decipher the code, indicating any patterns or linguistic strategies that aided you in deducing the key, and ultimately, submit the decrypted
message. Focus on the logical steps you take in breaking down the cipher and how you apply the provided hint to arrive at the solution.
Answer:
we know from the instructions that "a" is replaced by "d", which indicates that the letters in the cipher have been
moved by 3 digits. So we can apply this pattern to decode the cipher. For this purpose, So let’s consider the whole
English alphabets as a double circular list and perform operation of left shift three nodes to find the decrypted
message. let's decrypt the message:
Letter in Operation De-ciphered alphabet
Cipher
V Move Three letters before V S
H Move Three letters before H E
F Move Three letters before F C
K Move Three letters before K H
R Move Three letters before R O

F Move Three letters before F C

R Move Three letters before R O
Q Move Three letters before Q N
I Move Three letters before I F
 L Move Three letters before L I
G Move Three letters before G D
H Move Three letters before H E
Q Move Three letters before Q N
W Move Three letters before W T
L Move Three letters before L I
D Move Three letters before D A
O Move Three letters before O L

Therefore, the deciphered word becomes “SECHO CONFIDENTIAL”.

Question 2 (15 Marks)

Following scenarios are designed to test students' understanding of key cryptographic principles and their application in various situations that
involve secure communication. You are required to understand each statement and mention the name of appropriate service provided by
cryptosystems.
Solution:

Scenarios Service Explanation

Alice wants to send her term paper to her professor, Encryption Alice can use a service called "encryption"
Bob, over the internet. However, she is concerned that provided by cryptographic techniques to ensure
someone might intercept the paper and learn about her that only Bob can read it. In particular, he can
research before it's published. Describe a method Alice encrypt time text using a strong encryption
could use to ensure that only Bob can read the term algorithm and important information for himself
paper once he receives it. and Bob. Once Bob receives the encrypted
document, he can decrypt it using the same key,
ensuring that only two parties are authorized to
access the document.
Carol has finished her group project and needs to Digital Carol can use a cryptographic hash function (such
submit it to her teacher. She is worried that the project Signatures as SHA-256) to generate a unique hash value for
file might get corrupted or tampered with while the project file. This hash value acts as a digital
transferring over the school's network. Explain how fingerprint of the file's contents. Carol attaches the
 Carol can guarantee to the teacher that the file was not digital signature to the project file before sending it
altered from the time she sent it. to her teacher. When the teacher receives the
project file, they can use Carol's public key to
decrypt the digital signature and obtain the original
hash value. This way teacher can assure that
original document is received by him.
Dave logs into his online class portal to submit an Digital Dave can get a digital certificate from crypto
assignment. The portal needs to confirm that the Certificates system. This digital certificate includes Dave's
person submitting the assignment is indeed Dave and public key and information about his identity, such
not someone else. Suggest a method that the class as his name and email address. The portal can
portal could use to verify Dave's identity. required digital certificate when Dave submit
assignment. This way his identity can be verified.
Erin has access to an online library that contains Access The library implements authentication systems.
exclusive research papers. She needs to access a Control When Erin logs in, the access control mechanism
specific document for her thesis. Describe how the Mechanisms confirms his authentication and authorizes his
library system can ensure that only Erin and others access.
with the proper permissions can access the document
after they have been authenticated.
Frank sends a complaint to the university Digital When Frank submits the complaint to the
administration about a grading error. Later on, he Signatures" In university administration, he signs the complaint
wishes to deny that he ever sent such a complaint. Combination using his private key. This generates a digital
Explain how the university can use cryptographic With "Secure signature that uniquely identifies Frank as the
services to prove that the complaint was indeed sent by Timestamping sender. This digital evidence serves as proof that
Frank and prevent him from denying it. the complaint was sent by Frank at a specific time
and cannot be denied by him later.

Question 3 (15 Marks)

You are part of the cybersecurity team in charge of secure communications. Your current task is to create a tailored encryption system for a
new project. To achieve this, you will design a substitution cipher with a specific encryption rule that will be used for messages concerning
Project Phoenix. Here’s the message you need to encrypt:
ACTIVATE PROJECT PHOENIX
Follow these specific instructions to create your substitution cipher:
 Forge a substitution table wherein each alphabet letter is substituted by a letter that lies a specific number of positions further down the
 alphabet.
 Employ the rule that the shift number corresponds to the position in the alphabet of the first letter of "Phoenix," which is 'P'. Thus, 'P'
as the 16th letter dictates a shift of 16 places.
 Remember that the alphabet is circular. Once you reach 'Z', the next letter is 'A'. This 'wrapping' around is a crucial aspect of the
substitution cipher and must be accounted for in your table.
You are required to draw complete substitution table with the encrypted message it yields.

Substitution Table:
Keeping in view the instructions given in the question, we consider the whole English letters as a circular list starting from A to Z. we
calculate the substitution table moving 16 places to the right in the table. The table is given in the following.
Alphabet Substitute rule Substitute alphabet
A Move 16 letter to the rights P
B -do- Q
C -do- R
D -do- S
E -do- T
F -do- U
G -do- V
H -do- W
I -do- X
J -do- Y
K -do- Z
L -do- A
M -do- B
N -do- C
O -do- D
P -do- E
Q -do- F
R -do- G
S -do- H
T -do- I
 U -do- J
V -do- K
W -do- L
X -do- M
Y -do- N
Z -do- O

Step 2:
Keeping in view the above given substitution table, we encrypt the message as below.
Original Letter Substitute letter
A P
C R
T I
I X
V K
V X
A P
T I
E T

P E
R G
O D
J Y
E T
C R
T I

P E
H W
O D
E T
 N C
I X
X M
Therefore, according to the table, the encrypted message becomes “PRIXKXPIT EGDYTRI EWDTCXM”