Skip to main content
Cryptography and
Cryptography and
Network Security
Network Security
Overview & Chapter 1
Overview & Chapter 1
Chapter 0 – Reader’s Guide
Chapter 0 – Reader’s Guide
The art of war teaches us to rely not on the
The art of war teaches us to rely not on the
likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but
likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but
on our own readiness to receive him; not
on our own readiness to receive him; not
on the chance of his not attacking, but
on the chance of his not attacking, but
rather on the fact that we have made our
rather on the fact that we have made our
position unassailable.
position unassailable.
—
—The Art of War,
The Art of War, Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
Roadmap
Roadmap
 Cryptographic algorithms
Cryptographic algorithms

symmetric ciphers
symmetric ciphers

asymmetric encryption
asymmetric encryption

hash functions
hash functions
 Mutual Trust
Mutual Trust
 Network Security
Network Security
 Computer Security
Computer Security
Standards Organizations
Standards Organizations
 National Institute of Standards &
National Institute of Standards &
Technology (NIST)
Technology (NIST)
 Internet Society (ISOC)
Internet Society (ISOC)
 International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
Telecommunication Standardization
Telecommunication Standardization
Sector (ITU-T)
Sector (ITU-T)
 International Organization for
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO)
Standardization (ISO)
 RSA Labs (de facto)
RSA Labs (de facto)
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 1 – Introduction
 The combination of space, time, and
The combination of space, time, and
strength that must be considered as the
strength that must be considered as the
basic elements of this theory of defense
basic elements of this theory of defense
makes this a fairly complicated matter.
makes this a fairly complicated matter.
Consequently, it is not easy to find a fixed
Consequently, it is not easy to find a fixed
point of departure.
point of departure..
.
—
— On War, Carl Von Clausewitz
On War, Carl Von Clausewitz
Computer Security
Computer Security
 the protection afforded to an automated
the protection afforded to an automated
information system in order to attain the
information system in order to attain the
applicable objectives of preserving the
applicable objectives of preserving the
integrity, availability and confidentiality of
integrity, availability and confidentiality of
information system resources (includes
information system resources (includes
hardware, software, firmware,
hardware, software, firmware,
information/data, and telecommunications)
information/data, and telecommunications)
Key Security Concepts
Key Security Concepts
Levels of Impact
Levels of Impact
 can define 3 levels of impact from a
can define 3 levels of impact from a
security breach
security breach

Low
Low

Moderate
Moderate

High
High
Low Impact
Low Impact
 The loss could be expected to have a limited adverse
effect on organizational operations, organizational assets,
or individuals.
 A limited adverse effect means that, for example, the loss
of confidentiality, integrity, or availability might

(i) cause a degradation in mission capability to an
extent and duration that the organization is able to
perform its primary functions, but the effectiveness of
the functions is noticeably reduced;

(ii) result in minor damage to organizational assets;

(iii) result in minor financial loss; or

(iv) result in minor harm to individuals.
Moderate Impact
Moderate Impact
 The loss could be expected to have a serious adverse effect
on organizational operations, assets, or individuals.
 A serious adverse effect means that, e.g., the loss might

(i) cause a significant degradation in mission capability to
an extent and duration that the organization is able to
perform its primary functions, but the effectiveness of the
functions is significantly reduced;

(ii) result in significant damage to organizational assets;

(iii) result in significant financial loss; or

(iv) result in significant harm to individuals that does not
involve loss of life or serious, life-threatening injuries.
High Impact
High Impact
 The loss could be expected to have a severe or
catastrophic adverse effect on organizational operations,
organizational assets, or individuals.
 A severe or catastrophic adverse effect means that, for
example, the loss might

(i) cause a severe degradation in or loss of mission
capability to an extent and duration that the
organization is not able to perform one or more of its
primary functions;

(ii) result in major damage to organizational assets;

(iii) result in major financial loss; or

(iv) result in severe or catastrophic harm to individuals
involving loss of life or serious life threatening injuries.
Examples of Security
Examples of Security
Requirements
Requirements
 confidentiality – student grades
confidentiality – student grades
 integrity – patient information
integrity – patient information
 availability – authentication service
availability – authentication service
 authenticity – admission ticket
authenticity – admission ticket
 non-repudiation – stock sell order
non-repudiation – stock sell order
Computer Security Challenges
Computer Security Challenges
1.
1. not simple – easy to get it wrong
not simple – easy to get it wrong
2.
2. must consider potential attacks
must consider potential attacks
3.
3. procedures used counter-intuitive
procedures used counter-intuitive
4.
4. involve algorithms and secret info
involve algorithms and secret info
5.
5. must decide where to deploy mechanisms
must decide where to deploy mechanisms
6.
6. battle of wits between attacker / admin
battle of wits between attacker / admin
7.
7. not perceived to be of benefit until it fails
not perceived to be of benefit until it fails
8.
8. requires regular monitoring
requires regular monitoring
a process, not an event
a process, not an event
1.
1. too often an after-thought
too often an after-thought
2.
2. regarded as impediment to using system
regarded as impediment to using system
“
“Unusable security is not secure”
Unusable security is not secure”
OSI Security Architecture
OSI Security Architecture
 ITU-T X.800 “Security Architecture for OSI”
ITU-T X.800 “Security Architecture for OSI”
 defines a systematic way of defining and
defines a systematic way of defining and
providing security requirements
providing security requirements
 for us it provides a useful, if abstract,
for us it provides a useful, if abstract,
overview of concepts we will study
overview of concepts we will study
Aspects of Security
Aspects of Security
 consider 3 aspects of information security:
consider 3 aspects of information security:

security attack
security attack

security mechanism (control)
security mechanism (control)

security service
security service
 note terms
note terms

threat
threat –
– a
a potential for violation of security
potential for violation of security

vulnerability
vulnerability –
– a way by which loss can happen
a way by which loss can happen

attack
attack –
– an
an assault on system security, a
assault on system security, a
deliberate attempt to evade security services
deliberate attempt to evade security services
Passive Attack - Interception
Passive Attack - Interception
Passive Attack: Traffic Analysis
Passive Attack: Traffic Analysis
Observe traffic pattern
Active Attack: Interruption
Active Attack: Interruption
Block delivery of message
Active Attack: Fabrication
Active Attack: Fabrication
Fabricate message
Active Attack: Replay
Active Attack: Replay
Active Attack: Modification
Active Attack: Modification
Modify message
Handling Attacks
Handling Attacks

Passive attacks – focus on Prevention
Passive attacks – focus on Prevention
• Easy to stop
Easy to stop
• Hard to detect
Hard to detect

Active attacks – focus on Detection and
Active attacks – focus on Detection and
Recovery
Recovery
• Hard to stop
Hard to stop
• Easy to detect
Easy to detect
Security Service
Security Service

enhance security of data processing systems
enhance security of data processing systems
and information transfers of an organization
and information transfers of an organization

intended to counter security attacks
intended to counter security attacks

using one or more security mechanisms
using one or more security mechanisms

often replicates functions normally associated
often replicates functions normally associated
with physical documents
with physical documents
• which, for example, have signatures, dates; need
which, for example, have signatures, dates; need
protection from disclosure, tampering, or
protection from disclosure, tampering, or
destruction; be notarized or witnessed; be
destruction; be notarized or witnessed; be
recorded or licensed
recorded or licensed
Security Services
Security Services
 X.800:
X.800:
“
“a service provided by a protocol layer of
a service provided by a protocol layer of
communicating open systems, which ensures
communicating open systems, which ensures
adequate security of the systems or of data
adequate security of the systems or of data
transfers”
transfers”
 RFC 2828:
RFC 2828:
“
“a processing or communication service
a processing or communication service
provided by a system to give a specific kind of
provided by a system to give a specific kind of
protection to system resources”
protection to system resources”
Security Services (X.800)
Security Services (X.800)
 Authentication
Authentication -
- assurance that communicating
assurance that communicating
entity is the one claimed
entity is the one claimed

have both peer-entity & data origin authentication
have both peer-entity & data origin authentication
 Access Control
Access Control -
- prevention of the
prevention of the
unauthorized use of a resource
unauthorized use of a resource
 Data Confidentiality
Data Confidentiality –
–protection of data from
protection of data from
unauthorized disclosure
unauthorized disclosure
 Data Integrity
Data Integrity -
- assurance that data received is
assurance that data received is
as sent by an authorized entity
as sent by an authorized entity
 Non-Repudiation
Non-Repudiation -
- protection against denial by
protection against denial by
one of the parties in a communication
one of the parties in a communication
 Availability
Availability – resource accessible/usable
– resource accessible/usable
Security Mechanism
Security Mechanism
 a.k.a. control
a.k.a. control
 feature designed to detect, prevent, or
feature designed to detect, prevent, or
recover from a security attack
recover from a security attack
 no single mechanism that will support all
no single mechanism that will support all
services required
services required
 however
however one particular element underlies
one particular element underlies
many of the security mechanisms in use:
many of the security mechanisms in use:

cryptographic techniques
cryptographic techniques
 hence our focus on this topic
hence our focus on this topic
Security Mechanisms (X.800)
Security Mechanisms (X.800)
 specific security mechanisms:
specific security mechanisms:

encipherment, digital signatures, access
encipherment, digital signatures, access
controls, data integrity, authentication
controls, data integrity, authentication
exchange, traffic padding, routing control,
exchange, traffic padding, routing control,
notarization
notarization
 pervasive security mechanisms:
pervasive security mechanisms:

trusted functionality, security labels, event
trusted functionality, security labels, event
detection, security audit trails, security
detection, security audit trails, security
recovery
recovery
Model for Network Security
Model for Network Security
Model for Network Security
Model for Network Security
 using this model requires us to:
using this model requires us to:
1.
1. design a suitable
design a suitable algorithm for the security
algorithm for the security
transformation
transformation
2.
2. generate the secret information
generate the secret information (keys) used
(keys) used
by the algorithm
by the algorithm
3.
3. develop methods to
develop methods to distribute and share the
distribute and share the
secret information
secret information
4.
4. specify a
specify a protocol
protocol enabling the principals to
enabling the principals to
use the transformation and secret
use the transformation and secret
information for a security service
information for a security service
Model for Network Access
Model for Network Access
Security
Security
Model for Network Access
Model for Network Access
Security
Security
 using this model requires us to:
using this model requires us to:
1.
1. select appropriate gatekeeper functions to
select appropriate gatekeeper functions to
identify users
identify users
2.
2. implement security controls to ensure only
implement security controls to ensure only
authorised users access
authorised users access designated
designated
information or resources
information or resources
 note that model does not include:
note that model does not include:
1.
1. monitoring of system for successful
monitoring of system for successful
penetration
penetration
2.
2. monitoring of authorized users for misuse
monitoring of authorized users for misuse
3.
3. audit logging for forensic uses, etc.
audit logging for forensic uses, etc.
Summary
Summary
 topic roadmap & standards organizations
topic roadmap & standards organizations
 security concepts:
security concepts:

confidentiality, integrity, availability
confidentiality, integrity, availability
 X.800 security architecture
X.800 security architecture
 security attacks, services, mechanisms
security attacks, services, mechanisms
 models for network (access) security
models for network (access) security