Information Security
Lecture # 12
Dr. Shafiq Hussain
Associate Professor & Chairperson
Department of Computer Science
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Objectives
• Introduction to Encryption.
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Encryption
• Encryption is the process of information protection
by transforming readable data, often referred to as
plaintext, into an unreadable format known as
ciphertext, using an algorithm and an encryption key.
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Encryption (Cont..)
• If data falls into an unauthorized party’s hands, it
cannot be read without having the correct encryption
keys to decrypt the data.
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Encryption (Cont..)
• Using an algorithm that is based on a mathematical
formula, encryption “scrambles” or encrypts an
organization’s data, making it unreadable.
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Encryption (Cont..)
• When a user wants to unscramble the data, they then
use a designated encryption key to decrypt the
information.
• In its encrypted state, data is referred to as
“ciphertext” and in its readable form it’s called
“plaintext.”
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Encryption (Cont..)
• To give you an idea of just how complex and
advanced encryption algorithms are, it would take a
normal computer around 300 trillion years to break
an RSA-2048 bit encryption key , using what’s called
a brute force attack.
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Encryption (Cont..)
• Encryption is the science of encrypting and
decrypting data to prevent unauthorized access.
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Encryption (Cont..)
• Encryption is the process of making the plaintext
unreadable to any third party, which generates the
ciphertext.
• Decryption is the process of reversing the encrypted
text to its original readable format, i.e., plaintext.
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Encryption (Cont..)
There are two types of encryption in cryptography:
• Symmetric Encryption
• Asymmetric Encryption
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Symmetric Encryption
• Symmetric Encryption algorithm relies on a single
key for encryption and decryption of information.
• Both the sender and receiver of the message need to
have a pre-shared secret key that they will use to
convert the plaintext into ciphertext and vice versa.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
• The key which is being used for encrypting the
original message is decrypting the ciphertext.
• The key must be kept private and be known only to
the sender and the receiver.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
• Step 1: Paul and Jane decide on a common key to be
used
• Step 2: Paul sends the secret encryption key to Jane
or vice versa
• Step 3: Paul uses the private key to encrypt the
original message
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
• Step 4: Paul sends the encrypted message to Jane
• Step 5: Jane uses the secret key to decrypt the
message that was already present with her
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
• Symmetric encryption is essential for many day-to-
day activities on the internet, ranging from safe
online browsing to banking applications.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Payment Applications:
• Many online banking and payment applications
require the verification of personally identifiable
information before proceeding with their transactions.
• It helps in predicting the correct information to
prevent fraudulent activities and cybercrime.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Securing Data at Rest:
• When a website or organization stores personal
information regarding their users or the company
itself, it is protected using Symmetric encryption.
• This is done to prevent all kinds of snooping from
either outside hackers or disgruntled employees
inside the office, looking to steal crucial information.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
SSL/TLS Handshake:
• Symmetric encryption plays a significant role in
verifying website server authenticity, exchanging the
necessary encryption keys required, and generating a
session using those keys to ensure maximum security,
instead of the rather insecure HTTP website format.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
• Symmetric Key Cryptography is also Called Private
Key Cryptography.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Two types of ciphers can be used in symmetric
algorithms. These two types are:
• Stream Ciphers
• Block Ciphers
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Stream Ciphers:
• Stream ciphers are the algorithms that encrypt basic
information, one byte/bit at a time.
• You use a bitstream generation algorithm to create a
binary key and encrypt the plaintext.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Stream Ciphers:
The process for encryption and decryption using stream
ciphers are as follows :
• Get the plaintext to be encrypted.
• Create a binary key using the bitstream generation
algorithm.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Stream Ciphers:
• Perform XOR operation on the plaintext using the
generated binary key.
• The output becomes the ciphertext.
• Perform XOR operations on the ciphertext using the
same key to get back the plaintext.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Stream Ciphers:
• The most well-known stream ciphers are RC-4,
SALSA and PANAMA.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Block Ciphers:
• On the other hand, block ciphers dissect the raw
information into chunks of data of a fixed size.
• The size depends on the exact cipher being used.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Block Ciphers:
• A 128-bit block cipher will break the plaintext into
blocks of 128-bit each and encrypt those blocks
instead of a single digit.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Block Ciphers:
• These ciphers are slower but much more tamper-
proof and are used in some of the most common
algorithms being employed today.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
• Today, the most popular symmetric-key algorithms
like AES, DES, and 3DES are block cipher
methodology subsets.
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Symmetric Encryption (Cont..)
Advantages of Using Symmetric Key Cryptography:
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Questions
Any Question Please?
Your Query will be answered within one working day.
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Further Readings
• Chapter No. 1
Computer_Security_Principles_and_Practice_(3rd_E
dition)
By William Stallings and Lawrie Brown
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Thanks
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