20PIT002 - Elliptic Curve Cryptography

Elliptic Curve Cryptography with Example
What is ECC?
What is elliptic curve cryptography often runs in a lot of people’s minds? ECC
works by concentrating on specific pairs of public and private keys for encryption
and decryption of web traffic.
There are other encryption methods existent such as the Diffie-Hellman and
RSA cryptographic methods. These methods are grounded on the formation of
keys employing enormous prime numbers that entails plenty of computational
power.
The ECC cryptography is a key-based method that uses a public key

encryption technique for encrypting data based on an elliptic curve theory. With
the use of elliptic curve theory, faster, smaller, and more effective cryptographic
keys are created.
With elliptical curve encryption, complex and mathematically robust keys are

generated through the features of the elliptic curve equation in alteration to the
traditional technique as the product of enormous prime numbers. The elliptic curve
cryptosystem technology can be operated in concurrence with many public key
encryption methods, including RSA and Diffie-Hellman. Various researches and
studies suggest that ECC systems can attain a similar level of security with a 164-
bit key when other techniques want a 1,024-bit key.
This is mainly because the elliptic curve method supports to create equivalent

security with lesser computing power and reduced battery resource usage due to
which it is widely being used for various mobile applications.
Elliptic Curve Algorithm

An elliptic curve is an algorithm function for present ECC uses that is a plane
and asymmetrical curve, which transverses a finite field comprising the points
sustaining the following elliptic curve equation:
y²=x³ ax b.
Concerning the elliptic curve cryptography algorithm, this algebraic function

(y²=x³ ax b) will appear like a symmetrical curve that is parallel to the x-axis when
plotted. The elliptic curve method is established on a sole one-way feature in
which it simpler to complete a calculation but, at the same time, impracticable to
invert or withdraw the outcomes of the calculation to find the initial numbers,
unlike other forms of public-key cryptography.
This property makes the elliptic curve cryptography algorithm more secure and
efficient.
Further, elliptic key cryptography takes into account and combines various
mathematical operations than RSA to attain this property. To put it forward in
simpler terms, for an elliptic curve, a line will pass only through three points,
namely P, Q, and R, alongside the curve. By knowing two points, say, P and Q, the
other point, R, can be found, but with just R, the other two points, P and Q, cannot
be calculated.
A point upon the curve can be calculated by multiplying another point upon
the curve with a number. However, it is not easy to discover the number that was
used even though the start point and results are known. Equations based on elliptic
curves are comparatively simple to execute and tremendously tough to reverse.
Uses of ECC
Elliptic curve cryptography encryption is one of the most generally used
application techniques for digital signatures in various cryptocurrencies. Popular
cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum make use of the Elliptic Curve
Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA key) particularly in signing transactions due
to the security levels offered by ECC.
For digital signatures, ECC is applied in digital signatures through Elliptic

Curve DSA (ECDSA key) and in key exchange through Elliptic Curve Diffie-
Hellman (ECDH). These algorithms are used in different parts of the SSL standard
utilizing signing SSL certificates with ECDSA instead of RSA.
Besides cryptocurrencies, ECC is also serving as the standard mode of

encryption that is used widely by various web applications and is expected to grow
in future times, owing to its shorter key length, security, and effectiveness.
Elliptic curve cryptography is also used in a range of functions such as:
 Protecting the sensitive data and internal interactions by the U.S.

government,
 Maintenance and assurance of anonymity in TOR project,
 A method or basis on which ownership is proved in respect of Bitcoins,
 Providing signatures in Apple’s iMessage service,
 Encoding DNS data with DNSCurve.
Elliptic Curve Cryptography ECC is also the most favored process for
authentication over SSL/TLS for safe and secure web browsing.
Benefits of ECC
Elliptical encryption using Public-key cryptography based on algorithms is
relatively easy to process in one direction and challenging to work in the reverse
direction. For better understanding, ECC keys are efficient than RSA as RSA
depends on the theory that multiplying prime numbers to get a greater number is
simple, and factoring large numbers to return to the original primes is difficult.
The usual ECC key size of 256-bit is equal to a 3072-bit RSA key, which is
10,000 times efficient than a 2048-bit RSA key. Therefore, to remain safe and to
be ahead of a hacker’s computing power, RSA keys must be long and requires keys
that are 2048-bit or longer, which makes the process slower.
As ECC uses simpler and smaller keys, size is one of the prime advantages of
elliptic curve cryptography. With the power to consume less energy to factor and
convert more power to small mobile devices, it makes RSA’s factoring encryption
weaker.
In contrast to other encryption methods, with ECC, a similar security level and
high security can be attained using smaller and faster keys with less computational
power.
The elliptic curve also serves security benefits and acts as the perfect alternative
to RSA and DSA in situations where any threats or weaknesses are discovered in
RSA, especially in cases where the remedies for the threats need a significant rise
in key size.
The usage of smaller keys in ECC makes it faster as less data is transmitted from
the server to the client during an SSL coordination process. Further, ECC entails
lesser processing power and memory, as a consequence of which improved and
faster response times are generated throughout on Web servers during usage.
The Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) is also an important benefit of ECC,

especially for web-servers that desire Ephemeral ECDH (ECDHE) using cipher
suites as they reap the advantages of both ECC and PFS.
Example of ECC
The elliptic curve is a graph that denotes the points created by the following
equation:
y²=x³ ax b
In this elliptic curve cryptography example, any point on the curve can be
paralleled over the x-axis, as a result of which the curve will stay the same, and a
non-vertical line will transect the curve in less than three places.

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Elliptic Curve Cryptography with Example

The ECC cryptography is a key-based method that uses a public key

With elliptical curve encryption, complex and mathematically robust keys are

This is mainly because the elliptic curve method supports to create equivalent

Elliptic Curve Algorithm

Concerning the elliptic curve cryptography algorithm, this algebraic function

For digital signatures, ECC is applied in digital signatures through Elliptic

Besides cryptocurrencies, ECC is also serving as the standard mode of

 Protecting the sensitive data and internal interactions by the U.S.

The Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) is also an important benefit of ECC,

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