Category: encryption

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Cryptography for Kids

Posted on By infossl
children, cryptography, encryption, Security technology

Interesting National Science Foundation award: In the proposed “CryptoClub” afterschool program, middle-grade students will explore cryptography while applying mathematics to make and break secret codes. The playfulness and mystery of the subject will be engaging to students, and the afterschool environment will allow them to learn at their own pace. Some activities will involve moving … Read More “Cryptography for Kids” »

Subconscious Keys

Posted on By infossl
academicpapers, cryptanalysis, cryptography, encryption, keys, secrecy, Security technology

I missed this paper when it was first published in 2012: “Neuroscience Meets Cryptography: Designing Crypto Primitives Secure Against Rubber Hose Attacks” Abstract: Cryptographic systems often rely on the secrecy of cryptographic keys given to users. Many schemes, however, cannot resist coercion attacks where the user is forcibly asked by an attacker to reveal the … Read More “Subconscious Keys” »

The IDEA Encryption Algorithm with a 128-bit Block Length

Posted on By infossl
algorithms, cryptanalysis, cryptography, encryption, Security technology

Here’s an IDEA-variant with a 128-bit block length. While I think it’s a great idea to bring IDEA up to a modern block length, the paper has none of the cryptanalysis behind it that IDEA had. If nothing else, I would have expected more than eight rounds. If anyone wants to practice differential and linear … Read More “The IDEA Encryption Algorithm with a 128-bit Block Length” »

David Cameron's Plan to Ban Encryption in the UK

Posted on By infossl
cryptography, cryptowars, encryption, nationalsecuritypolicy, Security technology, securitytheater, terrorism, uk

In the wake of the Paris terrorist shootings, David Cameron has said that he wants to ban encryption in the UK. Here’s the quote: “If I am prime minister I will make sure that it is a comprehensive piece of legislation that does not allow terrorists safe space to communicate with each other.” This is … Read More “David Cameron's Plan to Ban Encryption in the UK” »

Viking Runes as Encryption in the 1500s

Posted on By infossl
encryption, historyofcryptography, Security technology

This is an interesting historical use of viking runes as a secret code. Yes, the page is all in Finnish. But scroll to the middle. There’s a picture of the Stockholm city police register from 1536, about a married woman who was found with someone who was not her husband. The recording scribe “encrypted” her … Read More “Viking Runes as Encryption in the 1500s” »

A New Free CA

Posted on By infossl
certificates, eff, encryption, Security technology, ssl, tls

Announcing Let’s Encrypt, a new free certificate authority. This is a joint project of EFF, Mozilla, Cisco, Akamai, and the University of Michigan. This is an absolutely fantastic idea. The anchor for any TLS-protected communication is a public-key certificate which demonstrates that the server you’re actually talking to is the server you intended to talk … Read More “A New Free CA” »

Whatsapp Is Now End-to-End Encrypted

Posted on By infossl
android, cellphones, encryption, opensource, Security technology

Whatapp is now offering end-to-end message encryption: Whatsapp will integrate the open-source software Textsecure, created by privacy-focused non-profit Open Whisper Systems, which scrambles messages with a cryptographic key that only the user can access and never leaves his or her device. I don’t know the details, but the article talks about perfect forward secrecy. Moxie … Read More “Whatsapp Is Now End-to-End Encrypted” »