CompSec 4035 Chapter 3 Lesson 2
CompSec 4035 Chapter 3 Lesson 2
CompSec 4035 Chapter 3 Lesson 2
S t a
r t t
h e w
a r t Rewrite it by reading down
o d a
y Srhaoytterdatwta
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher - Rail Fence
Rail Fence
The simplest of such (Transposition) ciphers is the
rail fence technique, in which the plaintext is written
down as a sequence of diagonals and then read off as
a sequence of rows
For example, to encipher the message “MEET ME
AFTER THE GOOD PARTY” with a rail fence of
depth 2 (number of rows, which is the key), we write
the following
The ciphertext is
MMTHORETEFETEODATEARGPY
To decrypt the cypher
Arrange by rows and read by columns
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher- Simple Columnar
Simple Columnar Transposition
Write the message in rows of a fixed
length, and then read out again column by
column.
The columns are chosen in some
scrambled order.
Both the length of the rows and the
permutation of the columns are usually
defined by a keyword.
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher - Simple Columnar
How does the Simple Columnar Transposition
works ?
First step is to take the letters of the keyword
and number them in alphabetical order.
The first appearance of the letter A receives
the value 1; the second appearance is
numbered 2. and so on.
E.g. P = ”Computer Security and
Information System” with a key ”section”.
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher - Simple Columnar
How does the Simple Columnar Transposition works ?
The key is Section
C takes value 1
E takes value 2
I takes value 3
N takes value 4
O takes value 5
S takes value 6
T takes value 7
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher - Simple Columnar
Computer Security and Information System
S E C T I O N
C O M P U T E
R S E C U R I
T Y A N D I N
F O R M A T I
O N S Y S T E
M
Finally, the sender enciphers the message by reading down each
column;
The order in which the columns are read corresponds to the
numbers assigned in the first step.
Cipher text = MEARSOSYONUUDASEINIETRITTCRTFOM
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher - Simple Columnar
Example: Let the key word be: ZEBRA.
P = WE ARE DISCOVERED FLEEAT ONCE
Z E B R A
W E A R E
Solution D I S C O
V E R E D
F L E E A
T O N C E
The message:
EODAEASRENEIELORCEECWDVFT
Cipher Techniques
Transposition Cipher - Simple Columnar
Key: 4 1 3 6 2 5 Exercise
m e e t m e
a t s q u a
Plaintext: r e g u a r
d e n f o r
g o o d d i
n n e r o k
Ciphertext:
Cryptanalysis
• It is also used to refer to any attempt to avoid the
security of other types of cryptographic
algorithms and protocols in general, and not
just encryption.
Ciphertext only
The attacker has only the ciphertext
the goal is to find the corresponding
plaintext
Known plaintext
The attacker has one or more plaintext-
ciphertext pairs formed with the secret key
The goal is to find the key
Cryptanalysis
Cryptanalysis attack can be:
Chosen plaintext
Plaintext message chosen by cryptanalyst, together
with its corresponding ciphertext generated with the
secret key
The goal of the attack is to gain information which
reduces the security of the encryption scheme
Chosen ciphertext
Purported ciphertext chosen by cryptanalyst,
together with its corresponding decrypted plaintext
generated with the secret key
The goal is to find the secret key (decryption key)
Cryptanalysis
Cryptanalysis attack
Statistics.
Cryptanalysis
Cryptanalysis attack
Intruders/Attackers
Eavesdropping (listening/spying the message)
An intruder may try to read the message
If it is well encrypted, the intruder will not know the
content
However, just the fact the intruder knows that there is
communication may be a threat (Traffic analysis)
Modification
Modifying a plaintext is easy, but modifying encrypted
messages is more difficult
Insertion of messages
Inserting new message into a ciphertext is difficult
Cryptanalysis
More Definitions – related concept to Cryptanalysis