Applications of Symmetric Key Cryptography

Techniques Used in Symmetric Key Cryptography

Substitution and Transposition are two principal techniques used in symmetric-key cryptography....

Substitution Techniques

The symmetric key cryptographic method employs one secret key for the operations of encryption and decryption. Substitution techniques provide two significant approaches, wherein elements (letters, characters) from the plaintext message are replaced with new elements according to the rules based on the secret key....

Transposition Techniques

Transposition techniques rearrange the order of elements in the plaintext message without changing the elements themselves....

Types of Symmetric Key Cryptography

Stream Ciphers Block Ciphers...

Stream Ciphers

The encryption process begins with the stream cipher’s algorithm generating a pseudo-random keystream made up of the encryption key and the unique randomly generated number known as the nonce. The result is a random stream of bits corresponding to the length of the ordinary plaintext. Then, the ordinary plaintext is also deciphered into single bits....

Block Cipher

The result of a block cipher is a sequence of blocks that are then encrypted with the key. The output is a sequence of blocks of encrypted data in a specific order. When the ciphertext travels to its endpoint, the receiver uses the same cryptographic key to decrypt the ciphertext blockchain to the plaintext message....

Applications of Symmetric Key Cryptography

Data encrypting/decrypting: SKC widely applies to protect sensitive data either statically stored in some device or transmitted through the network. Some of these applications include the authentication of users’ credentials, encryption of email messages, and financial transactions. Secure communication: The majority of the communication protocols commonly used are SSL/TLS, which use the combination of symmetric and asymmetric key encryption to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of exchanged information between two parties. These messages will be encrypted and decrypted using symmetric key encryption using a shared key. Authenticity verification: In some places, SKC is applied using techniques like message authentication codes (MACs) and keyed-hash MACs (HMACs) to authenticate the messages by verifying their authenticity and integrity, thus ensuring tamper-resistant communication. File and disk encryption: Full-disk encryption software and file encryption tools also apply SKC to encrypt sensitive data stored in hard disks or portable storage devices. Virtual private networks: VPN technologies are technologies that aim to provide confidential communication channels free from eavesdropping. Some of these may use symmetric or asymmetric key encryption to connect remote users and corporate networks....

Principles of Symmetric Key Encryption

Basic principles which underpin the security of symmetric key encryption algorithms....

Advantages of Symmetric Key Cryptography

Speed and efficiency: Symmetric key+ algorithms are better suited for encrypting large volumes of data or for use in real-time communication scenarios as they are faster and less resource-intensive than asymmetric cryptography. SKC algorithms do not involve algebraically mathematical operations....

Challenges and Limitations of Symmetric Key Cryptography

Key management and distribution: Both the sender and the receiver in the SKC of a message need to have the same key, and the key should not be seen by a third party. In case the key is somehow captured or compromised by a third party, the security of the encrypted data is also lost....

Operation Modes in Symmetric Cryptography

Electronic Codebook (ECB)...

Attacks on Symmetric Key Cryptography

There are two general approaches to attacking a Symmetric Key Cryptography scheme:...

Conclusion

Symmetric Key Cryptography (SKC) is a powerful and efficient solution for protecting digital information. SKC is easy to use for both encrypting and decrypting data and is highly scalable. In modern symmetric key systems, confusion, diffusion, and randomness are combined with appropriate key sizes to provide semantic security. While secret key management is essential, it cannot be achieved by SKC on its own....

Frequently Asked Questions on Symmetric Key Cryptography- FAQs

Why is Symmetric Encryption used in Today’s World?...