EVALUATION OF DATA ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION USING RSA & RC4 ALGORITHMS

EVALUATION OF DATA ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION USING RSA & RC4 ALGORITHMS

ABSTRACT

Encryption is the process of scrambling a message so that only the intended recipient can read it. Encryption can provide a means of securing information. As more and more information is stored on computers or communicated via computers, the need to insure that this information is invulnerable to snooping and/or tampering becomes more relevant. With the fast progression of digital data exchange in electronic way, Information Security is becoming much more important in data storage and transmission. Information Confidentiality has a prominent significance in the study of ethics, law and most recently in Information Systems. With the evolution of human intelligence, the art of cryptography has become more complex in order to make information more secure. Arrays of Encryption systems are being deployed in the world of Information Systems by various organizations.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In recent years, a lot of applications based on internet are emerged such as on-line shopping, stock trading, internet banking and electronic bill payment etc. Such transactions, over wire or wireless public networks demand end-to-end secure connections, should be confidential, to ensure data authentication, accountability and confidentiality, integrity and availability, also known as CIA triad. The NIST Computer Security Handbook [NIST95] defines the term computer security as, “The protection afforded to an automated information system in order to attain the applicable objectives of preserving the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information system resources (includes hardware, software, firmware, information/data, and telecommunications).” Security is the mechanism by which information and services are protected from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction. Security in networking is based on Cryptography (a word with Greek origins, means “secret writing”), the science and art of transforming messages to make them secure and immune to attack. Encryption is one of the principal means to guarantee security of sensitive information. Encryption algorithm performs various substitutions and transformations on the plaintext (original message before encryption) and transforms it into ciphertext (scrambled message after encryption). Many encryption algorithms are widely available and used in information security. Encryption algorithms are classified into two groups: Symmetric-key (also called secret-key) and Asymmetric-key (also called public-key) encryption. Symmetric key encryption is a form of cryptosystem in which encryption and decryption are performed using the same key. It is also known as conventional encryption. Asymmetric encryption is a form of cryptosystem in which encryption and decryption are performed using the different keys – one a public key and one a private key. It is also known as public-key encryption. A Key is a numeric or alpha numeric text or may be a special symbol. The Key is used at the time of encryption takes place on the Plain Text and at the time of decryption takes place on the Cipher Text. The selection of key in Cryptography is very important since the security of encryption algorithm depends directly on it. The strength of the encryption algorithm relies on the secrecy of the key, length of the key, the initialization vector, and how they all work together. Asymmetric encryption techniques are about 1000 times slower than Symmetric encryption which makes it impractical when trying to encrypt large amounts of data. Also to get the same security strength as symmetric, asymmetric must use a stronger key than symmetric encryption technique.

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

1.     To understand and improve the computer data security through encryption of data.

2.     To provide  a means of safeguarding data in a system

3.     To enhance the integrity of data

4.     To facilitate the use of more sophisticated tool against hacking, cracking, bugging of a system.

5.     To develop a platform to complement physical security.

TOPIC: EVALUATION OF DATA ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION USING RSA & RC4 ALGORITHMS

Chapters: 1 - 5
Delivery: Email

Number of Pages: 65

Price: 3000 NGN

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