DESIGN
AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTER SECURITY: DATA ENCRYPTION, DECRYPTION AND KEY
HASH ALGORITHMS
ABSTRACT
Computer
security is a process of protecting computer system and information from
harm and unauthorized use. The most important security tool beyond human
integrity used is cryptography. Cryptography is used to hide data from public
view and to ensure that the integrity and privacy of any data sent across a
network has not been compromised. This project work helps you to understand
what cryptography is all about and the procedures used to achieve this aim, it
explains the design and implementation of computer security: data encryption
and decryption and key hash algorithm. The programming language used in the
development of this project is Microsoft C sharp(C#), In this project the
researcher achieved all she has in mind in designing this program by making sure
that the integrity and the privacy of an individual is not compromise. In
conclusion, security in communication and network system have come a long way
to ensure that information transmitted between two or more parities involved in
a conversation enjoys the benefits of privacy. the researcher suggested that
developers and engineers need to research more on computer security in order to
provide a stronger security unit on information and data.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the past, security was simply a matter of locking the door or storing files
in a locked filing cabinet or safe. Today, paper is no longer the only medium
of choice for housing information. Files are stored in computer databases as
well as file cabinets. Hard drives and floppy disks hold many of our secret
information.
In
the physical world, security is a fairly simple concept. If the locks on your
house’s doors and windows are so strong that a thief cannot break in to steal
your belongings, the house is secure. For further protection against intruders
breaking through the locks, you might have security alarms. Similarly, if
someone tries to fraudulently withdraw money from your bank account but the
teller asks for identification and does not trust the thief’s story, your money
is secure. When you sign a contract with another person, the signatures are the
legal driving force that impels both parties to honor their word.
In
the digital world, security works in a similar way. One concept is privacy,
meaning that no one can break into files to read your sensitive data (such as
medical records) or steal money (by, for example, obtaining credit card numbers
or online brokerage accounts information). Privacy is the lock on the door.
Another concept, data integrity, refers to a mechanism that tells us when
something has been altered. That’s the alarm. By applying the practice of
authentication, we can verify identities. That’s comparable to the ID required
to withdraw money from a bank account (or conduct a transaction with an online
broker). And finally, non repudiation is a legal driving force that impels
people to honor their word.
As
the Internet becomes a more pervasive part of daily life, the need for
e-security becomes even more critical. Any organization engaged in online
activity must assess and manage the e-security risks associated with this
activity. Effective use of cryptographic techniques is at the core of many of
these risk-management strategies. The most important security tool is
cryptography.
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Before
the modern era, cryptography was concerned solely with message confidentiality
(i.e., encryption) — conversion of messages from a comprehensible form into an
incomprehensible one, and back again at the other end, rendering it unreadable
by interceptors or eavesdroppers without secret knowledge (namely, the key
needed for decryption of that message). In recent decades, the field has
expanded beyond confidentiality concerns to include techniques for message
integrity checking, sender/receiver identity authentication, digital
signatures, interactive proofs, and secure computation, amongst others.
Encryption
attempts to ensure secrecy in communications, such as those of spies, military
leaders, and diplomats, but it have also had religious applications.
Steganography
(i.e., hiding even the existence of a message so as to keep it confidential)
was also first developed in ancient times. An early example, from Herodotus,
concealed a message - a tattoo on a slave's shaved head - under the regrown
hair. More modern examples of steganographyk include the use of invisible ink,
microdots, and digital watermarks to conceal information.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The
problem is security. The password method used in almost all commercial
operating systems is probably not very strong against a sophisticated or
unsophisticated attacker. The choice of data encryption comes next in the minds
of those that want reduction of unauthorized access on confidential files or
data.
Security
provided by the computer operating systems come with a preset super user
account and password. The super user may have a password to control network
functionality, another to conduct or access nightly backups, create accounts,
and so on. For a cracker, logging on to a system as the super user is possibly
the best way to collect data or do damage. If the super user has not changed an
operating system’s preprogrammed passwords, the network is vulnerable to
attack. Most crackers know these passwords, and their first attempt to break
into a network is simply to try them. If an attacker cannot log on as the super
user, the next best thing might be to figure out the user name and password of
a regular user. It is used to be standard practice in most Universities and
colleges, and in some commercial companies, to assign every student or employee
an account with user name and initial password – the password being the user
name. Everyone was instructed to log on and change the password, but often,
hackers and crackers logged on before legitimate users had a chance.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- To
understand and improve the computer data security through encryption of
data.
- To provide a
means of safeguarding data in a system
- To enhance the
integrity of data
- To facilitate the use
of more sophisticated tool against hacking, cracking, bugging of a system.
- To develop a platform
to complement physical security.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Data
security in these contemporary times is a must. For your secrets to be
secure, it may be necessary to add protections not provided by your computer
operating systems. The built-in protections may be adequate in some cases. If
no one ever tries to break into or steal data from a particular computer, its
data will be safe. Or if the intruder has not learned how to get around the
simple default mechanisms, they’re sufficient. But many attackers do have the
skills and resources to break various security systems. If you decide to do
nothing and hope that no skilled cracker targets your information, you may get
lucky, and nothing bad will happen.
One
of the most important tools for protecting your data from an authorized access
is Data Encryption, any of various methods that are used to turn readable files
into gibberish. Even if an attacker obtains the contents of the file, it is
gibberish. It does not matter whether or not the operating system protections
worked.
1.5
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Technology
constraint: The problem encountered here is
searching information about computer security through Data Encryption and Key
Hash Algorithm and another problem is since the secret key has to be send
to the receiver of the encrypted data, it is hard to securely pass the key over
the network to the receiver.
Time constraint: the time giving for the submission of this project
work was not really enough for the researcher to extensively carry out
more research on this work.
Financial constraint: there was not enough money to
extensively carry out this work.
1.6
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Computer
Security has been defined as the art of protecting computer system and
information from harm and unauthorized use .the most important security tool
beyond human integrity used is cryptography. which is used to hide data from
public view and to ensure that the integrity and privacy of any data sent
across a network is not compromised. cryptography involves encryption and
decryption process .the scope of this study covers the message security
,message integrity, user authentication and key management of messages.
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
SECURITY: The
set of accesses controls and permission that are used to determine if a server
can grant a request for a service or resource from a client.
PASSWORD: An
identity that defines an authorized users of a computer in order to access to
the system.
SOFTWARE: A
collection of computer programs that runs as a group to accomplish a set of
objectives which could be referred to as job.
SYSTEM: An
organized unit which composed of two or more inter related parts that functions
together to achieve a particular goal.
ENCRYPTION: The
process of converting ordinary information (plaintext) into unintelligible
gibberish (that is, cipher text).
DECRYPTION: The
reverse, moving from unintelligible cipher text to plain text.
ALOGRITM: This
is a sequential way of solving a problem.
CRYPTOGRAPHY: This
is used to hide data from public view and to ensure that the integrity and
privacy of any data sent across a network has not been compromised.
TOPIC: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTER SECURITY: DATA ENCRYPTION, DECRYPTION AND KEY HASH ALGORITHMS
Chapters: 1 - 5
Delivery: Email
Number of Pages: 75
Price: 3000 NGN
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Nice project work, i like it.
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