Network Security & Cryptography

Dr.M.Sadiq Ali Khan

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What is Computer Security?
Computer Security: 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).

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Computer Security
Requirements
Secrecy
Integrity
Availability
Authenticity
Non-repudiation
Access control

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Secrecy
Secrecy requires that the information in a
computer systems only be accessible for
reading by authorized parties. This type of
access includes printing, displaying, and
other forms of disclosure, including simply
revealing the existing of an object.

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Integrity
Integrity requires that the computer
system asset can be modified only by
authorized parties. Modification includes
writing, changing, changing status,
deleting, and creating.

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Availability
Availability requires that computer systems
assets are available to authorized parties.
Availability: A "requirement intended to
assure that systems work promptly and
service is not denied to authorized users."
(Computers at Risk, p. 54.)
Access control - Unauthorized users are
kept out

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Authenticity
Authenticity means that parties in a
information services can ascertain the
identity of parties trying to access
information services.

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Non-repudiation
Originator of communications can’t deny it
later
Associates the identity of the originator
with the transaction in a non-deniable way

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Access Control
Unauthorized users are kept out of the
system
Unauthorized users are kept out of places
on the system/disk

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Security Requirements are
often Combined
These are often combined
User authentication used for access control
purposes
Non-repudiation combined with
authentication

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Type of Attacks/Threats in
Computer Systems
A threat is a danger which which could
affect the security (confidentiality,
integrity, availability) of assets, leading to a
potential loss or damage.
Interruption
Interception
Modification
Fabrication

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Type of Attacks in Computer
Systems

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Interruption
An asset of the system is destroyed or
becomes unavailable or unusable. This is
an attack on the availability. Examples
include destruction of a piece of hardware,
such as a hard disk, the cutting of a
communication link, or the disabling of the
file management system.

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Interception
Information disclosure/information leakage
An unauthorized party gains access to an
asset.
This is an attack on confidentiality.
The unauthorized party could be a person,
a program, or a computer.
Examples include wiretapping to capture
data in a network. And the illicit copying of
files or programs.
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Modification
Integrity violation
An unauthorized party not only gains
access to but tampers with an asset.
This is an attack on the integrity.
Examples include changing values in a data
file, altering a program so that it performs
differently, and modifying the content of a
message being transmitted in a network.

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Fabrication
An unauthorized part inserts counterfeit
objects into the system. This is an attack
on the authenticity. Examples include the
insertion of spurious messages in a
network or the addition of records to a file.

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Classification of Attacks
Computer Security attacks can be classified
into two broad categories:
Passive Attacks can only observe
communications or data
Active Attacks can actively modify
communications or data, Often difficult to
perform, but very powerful
Mail forgery/modification
TCP/IP spoofing/session hijacking

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Passive Attacks
Eavesdropping on or monitoring of
transmission.
The goal of the opponent is to obtain
information that is being transmitted.
Two types:
Release-of-message contents
Traffic Analysis

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Release-of-message
Contents
Opponent finds out the contents or the
actual messages being transmitted.

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Traffic Analysis
More subtle than release-of-message
contents
Messages may be kept secret by masking
or encryption but
The opponent figures out information
being carried by the messages based on
the frequency and timings of the message

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Passive Attacks Problems
Difficult to detect because there is no
modification of data
Protection approach should be based on
prevention rather than detection.

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Active Attacks
Active attacks involve some sort of
modification of the data stream or the
creation of a false stream. Four sub-
categories:
Masquerade
Replay
Modification of Messages
Denial of service

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Masquerade
An entity pretends to be another
For the purpose of doing some other form
of attack
Example a system claims its IP address to
be what it is not, IP spoofing

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Replay
First passive capture of data and then its
retransmission to produce an unauthorized
effect.

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Modification of Messages
Some portion of a legitimate message is
altered or messages are delayed or
reordered to produce an unauthorized
effect.

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Denial of Service
Prevents the normal use or management of
communication facilities.

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Problems with Active
Attacks
Easy to detect but difficult to prevent
Efforts are directed to quickly recover from
disruption or delays
Good thing is that detection will have a
deterrent effect.

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Security Solutions
Physical security User authentication
Encryption Passwords and
Access control passphrases
Automatic call back Challenge-response
Node authentication systems
Differentiated access Token or smart cards
rights Exchange of secret
protocol
Personal
characteristics -
Biometrics 29
Security Application Email - S/MIME Application

Protocol Presentation Presentation

Layers Session SSL Session

•The further
Transport Transport

down you go, Network IPSec Network

the more
Datalink PPP - ECP Datalink
transparent it is
Physical Physical

•The further up
you go, the
Encrypting Encrypting
easier it is to NIC
PHYSICAL NETWORK
NIC

deploy
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Security Services
From the OSI definition:
Access control: Protects against unauthorized
use
Authentication: Provides assurance of
someone's identity
Confidentiality: Protects against disclosure to
unauthorized identities
Integrity: Protects from unauthorized data
alteration
Non-repudiation: Protects against originator of
communications later denying it 31
Security Mechanisms
Three basic building blocks are used:
Encryption is used to provide confidentiality,
can provide authentication and integrity
protection
Digital signatures are used to provide
authentication, integrity protection, and non-
repudiation
Checksums/hash algorithms are used to
provide integrity protection, can provide
authentication
One or more security mechanisms are
combined to provide a security service 32
Model for Network Security

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Network Access Security
Model

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