■ Symmetric encryption Is a type of encryption where only one

key (a secret key) is used to both encrypt and decrypt electronic

data.
■ The entities communicating via symmetric encryption must
exchange the key so that it can be used in the decryption process.
■ Symmetric encryption uses one key to encrypt and decrypt. If you encrypt a zip file, and
then decrypt with the same key, you are using symmetric encryption. Symmetric
encryption is also called “secret key” encryption, as the key must be kept secret from
third parties.
■ A symmetric encryption is any technique where the same key is used to both encrypt
and decrypt the data. The Caesar Cipher is one of the simplest symmetric encryption
techniques, and of course, one of the easiest to crack
■ Conventional encryption: encryption and decryption are performed using the same key.
■ Symmetric encryption transforms plaintext into ciphertext using a secret key and an
encryption algorithm.
■ Using the same key and a decryption algorithm, the plaintext is recovered from the
ciphertext.
Symmetric Cipher Model

 Plaintext – original message or data that is fed into the algorithm as input.
 Encryption algorithm – performs various substitutions or transformations on plaintext.
 Secret key –is also input to the encryption algorithm.
 The exact substitutions/transformations performed by the algorithm depend on the
key .
 Ciphertext – scrambled message produced at the output.
 It depends on the plaintext and secret key. For a given message , two different keys will
produce two different ciphertexts.
 Decryption algorithm – inverse of encryption algorithm
Two requirements for secure use of symmetric
encryption:

 A Strong Encryption Algorithm:

The opponent should be unable to decrypt ciphertext or discover the key even if he or
she is in possession of a number of ciphertexts together with the plaintext that produced
each ciphertext.
 A Secret Key Known Only To Sender / Receiver:
If someone can discover the key and knows the algorithm, all communication using
this key is readable.
It is impractical to decrypt a message on the basis of the cipher- text plus knowledge
of the encryption/decryption algorithm, and hence do not need to keep the algorithm
secret; rather we only need to keep the key secret.
 Type of encryption operations used

 Substitution: in which each element in the plaintext (bit, letter, group of bits or letters)
is mapped into another element.
 Transposition: in which elements in the plaintext are rearranged. The fundamental
requirement is that no information be lost.
 Product: involve multiple stages of substitutions and transpositions.
Number of keys

 Single-key or private: If both sender and receiver use the same key, the system is
referred to as symmetric, single-key, secret-key, or conventional encryption.
 Two-key or public: If the sender and receiver use different keys, the system is referred
to as asymmetric, two-key, or public-key encryption
■ plaintext is processed • Block: A block cipher processes the input one block
of elements at a time, producing an output block for each input block. • Stream: A
stream cipher processes the input elements continuously, producing output one
element at a time, as it goes along.

■ Classical Substitution Ciphers • where letters of plaintext are replaced

by other letters or by numbers or symbols • or if plaintext is viewed as a sequence of
bits, then substitution involves replacing plaintext bit patterns with ciphertext bit
patterns
■ Caesar Cipher • earliest known substitution cipher by Julius Caesar • first attested
use in military affairs • replaces each letter by 3rd letter on • example: meet me after
the toga party PHHW PH DIWHU WKH WRJD SDUWB
■ Caesar Cipher • can define transformation as: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x
y z D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C • mathematically give each letter a
number a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 • then have Caesar cipher as: c = E(k, p) = (p + k) mod (26)
p = D(k, c) = (c – k) mod (26)
■ Monoalphabetic Cipher • rather than just shifting the alphabet • could shuffle
(jumble) the letters arbitrarily • each plaintext letter maps to a different random
ciphertext letter • hence key is 26 letters long Plain: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Cipher: DKVQFIBJWPESCXHTMYAUOLRGZN Plaintext: ifwewishtoreplaceletters
Ciphertext: WIRFRWAJUHYFTSDVFSFUUFYA
■ Playfair Cipher not even the large number of keys in a monoalphabetic cipher
provides security one approach to improving security was to encrypt multiple
letters the Playfair Cipher is an example invented by Charles Wheatstone in 1854,
but named after his friend Baron Playfair
■ Playfair Key Matrix a 5X5 matrix of letters based on a keyword fill in letters of
keyword (minus duplicates) fill rest of matrix with other letters eg. using the
keyword MONARCHY M O N A R C H Y B D E F G I/J K L P Q S T U V W X Z
■ plaintext is encrypted two letters at a time 1. if a pair is a repeated letter, insert filler
like 'X’ 2. if both letters fall in the same row, replace each with letter to right (wrapping
back to start from end) 3. if both letters fall in the same column, replace each with the
letter below it (wrapping to top from bottom) 4. otherwise each letter is replaced by
the letter in the same row and in the column of the other letter of the pair
■ Polyalphabetic Ciphers  polyalphabetic substitution ciphers  improve security
using multiple cipher alphabets  make cryptanalysis harder with more alphabets to
guess and flatter frequency distribution  use a key to select which alphabet is used
for each letter of the message  use each alphabet in turn  repeat from start after
end of key is reached
■ Vigenère Cipher • simplest polyalphabetic substitution cipher • effectively multiple
caesar ciphers • key is multiple letters long K = k1 k2 ... kd • ith letter specifies ith
alphabet to use • use each alphabet in turn • repeat from start after d letters in
message • decryption simply works in reverse
■ Example of Vigenère Cipher  write the plaintext out  write the keyword repeated
above it  use each key letter as a caesar cipher key  encrypt the corresponding
plaintext letter  eg using keyword deceptive key: deceptivedeceptivedeceptive
plaintext: wearediscoveredsaveyourself
ciphertext:ZICVTWQNGRZGVTWAVZHCQYGLMGJ
■ Vernam Cipher ultimate defense is to use a key as long as the plaintext with no
statistical relationship to it invented by AT&T engineer Gilbert Vernam in 1918
originally proposed using a very long but eventually repeating key
One-Time Pad • if a truly random key as long as the message is used, the cipher will be
secure • called a One-Time pad • is unbreakable since ciphertext bears no statistical
relationship to the plaintext • since for any plaintext & any ciphertext there exists a key
mapping one to other • can only use the key once though • problems in generation & safe
distribution of key
■ Transposition Ciphers now consider classical transposition or permutation
ciphers these hide the message by rearranging the letter order without altering
the actual letters used can recognise these since have the same frequency
distribution as the original text
■ Rail Fence cipher • write message letters out diagonally over a number of rows • then
read off cipher row by row • eg. write message out as: m e m a t r h t g p r y e t e f e t e o
a a t • giving ciphertext MEMATRHTGPRYETEFETEOAAT
■ 39. Row Transposition Ciphers is a more complex transposition write letters of
message out in rows over a specified number of columns then reorder the columns
according to some key before reading off the rows Key: 4312567 Column Out 3 4 2 1 5
6 7 Plaintext: a t t a c k p o s t p o n e d u n t i l t w o a m x y z Ciphertext:
TTNAAPTMTSUOAODWCOIXKNLYPETZ
■ Product Ciphers • ciphers using substitutions or transpositions are not secure
because of language characteristics • hence consider using several ciphers in
succession to make harder, but: – two substitutions make a more complex
substitution – two transpositions make more complex transposition – but a
substitution followed by a transposition makes a new much harder cipher • this is
bridge from classical to modern ciphers