Posted: February 4th, 2015

CNET336 YO

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

 

 

In the Internet-era many application need to protect information and/or authenticate users.

This assignment requires you to:

1. Select a type of application that you would like to analyse,
2. Research and evidence the significant/relevance of your target application, citing appropriate literature sources
3. Identify cryptographic requirements for this type of application
4. Analyse the cryptographic approaches used in different software package of the same type, e.g. software used for data encryption
5. To understand the principle properly, implement the basic principles using Crypttool2
6. Discuss advantages and disadvantages, and justify the use of cryptographic mechanisms citing relevant literature. Try to cover all areas relevant for the type of application that you selected (key generation, key management, encryption, decryption, etc.). Please go in depth in at least one of these areas. Specify the area explicitly.
7. Evaluate/compare the different approaches

CNET336 – Cryptographic Mechanisms and Applications

Coursework Assignment 2014

 

Objectives

• To address an application type that uses cryptographic mechanisms. Investigate, analyse and discuss cryptographic issues. This will be worth 50% of the module mark.
• Research to be conducted utilising traditional sources (books, journals, articles etc.) as well as the Internet.
• Production of a report of no more than 2,000 words.

 

Topic and tasks

 

In the Internet-era many application need to protect information and/or authenticate users.

 

This assignment requires you to:

 

1. Select a type of application that you would like to analyse,

2. Research and evidence the significant/relevance of your target application, citing appropriate literature sources. g. if you address HD encrypting software, then it might make sense to explain why this type of software is needed. Why is it relevant to have this type of software?

1. Identify cryptographic requirements for this type of application
2. Analyse the cryptographic approaches used in different software package of the same type, e.g. software used for data encryption. Make sure you talk about disclosed or known methods, e.g. RC4, AES, etc. You are not expected to know approaches that have not been disclosed.
3. To understand the principle properly, implement the basic principles using Crypttool2. Do this is only if modules for the methods identified are available in Cryptool2.
4. Discuss advantages and disadvantages, and justify the use of cryptographic mechanisms citing relevant literature. Try to cover all areas relevant for the type of application that you selected (key generation, key management, encryption, decryption, etc.). Please go in depth in at least one of these areas. Specify the area explicitly.
5. Evaluate/compare the different approaches

 

 

Possible application areas that you may consider include (but are not limited to) use of:

 

• Software to secure data using cryptographic mechanisms
• Software to encrypt/decrypt data – can relate to emails, files or harddrives, etc.
• Software or devices used for authentication

 

Note that you are required to address ONE topic, rather than a whole series.

 

 

Assessment

 

This is an individual assignment and your overall submission will be assessed based on the following criteria:

 

• Justification of topic area (application)                                                                      10%
• Identify cryptographic issues linked to this area                                                         20%
• Overview cryptographic approaches used in this type of

application, evtl. implement principles with Crypttool                                     30%

• Discussion, advantages vs. disadvantages and comparison of

different approaches                                                                                       25%

·         Conclusions, Future tendencies                                                                                 10 %

• References                                                                                                                    5%

 

 

 

Alternative topic

 

Participate in the Cyber security challenge for Universities and critically write about a cipher that you developed. You will need to address:

• the cryptographic approach(es) used to encrypt/decrypt
• Have at least one procedure where you hide information
• Have at least 3 stages where information is manipulated (encrypted/decrypted, hidden, etc.)

 

An example can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Odla8I0Hs

 

The assessment criteria will vary slightly.

This is an individual assignment and your overall submission will be assessed based on the following criteria:

 

• Introduction                                                                                                                10%
• Requirements of your cipher                                                                          20%
• Overview of your cipher, explaining how it works, evtl.

implement principles with Crypttool2                                                              30%

• Discussion, advantages vs. disadvantages of

your chipher                                                                                                                25%

·         Conclusions, Future ideas                                                                                          10 %

• References                                                                                                                    5%

 

 

Submission

 

Deadline:        4pm on xxxx^th December

 

Notes:

 

• You must submit your coursework via the portal (SCOLAR). Coursework must be submitted by the specified deadline.

 

• You should give due consideration to your personal time management to ensure that coursework is submitted in plenty of time prior to the deadline.

 

• Coursework can be submitted at any time ahead of the deadline.

 

• Please note that work submitted late without valid extenuating circumstances will be penalized. Work submitted within 24 hours after the deadline will receive a mark, but it will be capped at the normal pass mark for that module. Work submitted more than 24 hours after the official deadline will receive an automatic mark of zero.

 

·        The report that you present should be supported (where relevant) by appropriate evidence.  Any such information that you present must be appropriately cited and referenced in your report – if you are unfamiliar with referencing style, then a Google search using the term ‘Harvard referencing’ will help to enlighten you.

Although you will be expected to make significant use of printed and online literature in researching and producing your materials, it is not acceptable for you to simply cut and paste material from other sources (small quotes are acceptable, but they must be clearly indicated as being quotes and the source must be referenced appropriately).

 

 

Ingo Stengel, October 2014