Symmetric Cryptography Flashcards
How many keys are used in symmetric cryptography?
Only one, since the same key KA,B is used to encrypt and to decrypt the message.
If you have the key and the encrypted message, how can you decrypt?
D=(key, E(key, P)) = P, where P is the plain text.
Cite some symmetric cryptographic protocols.
DES, 3DES, AES, RC4.
What is a stream cipher?
In stream ciphers, one bit or byte is encrypted at a time. It is based on pseudorandom bit sequence (emulating one-time pad).
Cite examples of stream ciphers.
RC4, SEAL.
What is a block cipher?
In block ciphers, blocks of equal length are encrypted at a time. Typically size are power of 2. Usually they have more diffusion than stream ciphers.
Cite examples of block ciphers.
DES, 3DES, AES, IDEA, Blowfish, CAST-n
What is more common: stream or block ciphers?
Block ciphers, because they are commonly considered more efficient.
Which standard is currently being used for block ciphers?
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Which algorithm is used for Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)?
Rijndael.
What is shannon’s substitution-permutation network? In which cryptographic primitives is it based on?
Shannon’s substitution-permutation network is modern substitution-transposition product cipher. It is based on two cryptographic operations: substitution (S-box) and permutation (P-box)
Which important characteristics does Shannon’s S-P Networks provide?
They provide confusion and diffusion of message.
What does diffusion in the context of cipher means?
Diffusion is the propriety to dissipate statistical structure of a plaintext over bulk of ciphertext.
What does confusion in the context of cipher means?
Confusion is the propriety in which makes the relationship between ciphertext and key as complex as possible.
What is cornerstone of modern symmetric cryptography?
Shannon’s S-P networks.