What is the key space of an affine cipher?
The key space of an affine cipher is a fundamental concept in the study of classical cryptography, particularly within the domain of modular arithmetic and historical ciphers. Understanding the key space involves comprehending the range of possible keys that can be used within the affine cipher algorithm to encrypt and decrypt messages. The affine cipher
Is DES prone to the meet-in-the-middle attack?
The Data Encryption Standard (DES) is a symmetric-key algorithm for the encryption of digital data. It was developed in the early 1970s and was later adopted as a federal standard in the United States in 1977. DES is a block cipher, meaning it encrypts data in fixed-size blocks, specifically 64-bit blocks, using a 56-bit key.
How does Triple DES (3DES) improve upon the security of single and double encryption, and what are its practical applications?
Triple DES (3DES), an evolution of the Data Encryption Standard (DES), was developed to address the vulnerabilities associated with single and double encryption methods. DES, originally adopted as a federal standard in 1977, faced increasing scrutiny as computational power advanced, rendering its 56-bit key length susceptible to brute-force attacks. Triple DES enhances security by extending
- Published in Cybersecurity, EITC/IS/CCF Classical Cryptography Fundamentals, Conclusions for private-key cryptography, Multiple encryption and brute-force attacks, Examination review
What is a brute force attack?
Brute force is a technique used in cybersecurity to crack encrypted messages or passwords by systematically trying all possible combinations until the correct one is found. This method relies on the assumption that the encryption algorithm used is known, but the key or password is unknown. In the field of classical cryptography, brute force attacks
- Published in Cybersecurity, EITC/IS/CCF Classical Cryptography Fundamentals, History of cryptography, Modular arithmetic and historical ciphers
Explain the significance of the key size and the number of rounds in AES, and how they impact the level of security provided by the algorithm.
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a widely-used symmetric block cipher that provides secure encryption for various applications. The security of AES is influenced by two key factors: the key size and the number of rounds. The key size in AES refers to the length of the secret key used for encryption and decryption. AES

