Comparison of Cryptographic Algorithms

According to Ebrahim, Khan, and Khalid (2013), cryptographic refers to an encryption technology that is made up of various concept in mathematics. Some of the mathematical applications that are utilized in cryptographic include formulas and algorithms. The primary reason for the development of the technology was to secure the communication in diplomatic and military operations. The purpose of the discussion is to determine how RC4, block cypher, Diffie-Hellman, and Blowfish operate.

Diffie-Hellman

            It refers to an algorithm that is used in sending public messages. Diffie-Hellman utilizes two keys, private and public, which decrypts and encrypt the data (Mousa and Hamad, 2006). The algorithm exists to protect the data that is shared between different web browsers. Diffie-Hellman works by sharing a key between the two parties sending and receiving the message. The parties pick secret code which is only known to one of the parties and a public key which is known to all. The public key is later used to determine the prime number that would be used to decrypt the data. Apart from the use of a public key, the message can still be sent by using the digital ID. The digital identification is used to verify the person sending the message. Diffie-Hellman is used when the data is being transferred between different servers (Ebrahim, Khan, and Khalid, 2013).

Blowfish

            Blowfish is an algorithm that is made up of two parts which include the data encryption and the key for expansion (Ebrahim, Khan, and Khalid, 2013). The algorithm exist in the public domain and it is relied upon because it is fast and provides maximum security for the data. Blowfish works by encrypting data in bulk based on the required size of the message. The blowfish will identify the size of the data that should be encrypted on each block. Secondly, the blowfish determine that key that should be used in each of the blocks (Mousa and Hamad, 2006). Blowfish is used to provide the authentication of passwords since it is regarded as a high security algorithm. For computers that use the Unix and Linux operating system, password authentication can be enhanced by using the blowfish cypher (Perrin, 2007).

RC4

            RC4 is an algorithm that is used for the decryption and encryption of data. RC4 exist is the public domain to ease and secure communication between various parties. The algorithm uses a key and two string arrays. One of the first step in its operation is obtaining the key and the data that should be encrypted. The second step involves creating 2 string arrays. The first array is initiated with numbers that range from 0-255. The second array is filled with the key selected in the first step. The first array is randomized to determine the final stream. To obtain the cypher text, the algorithm would XOR the data that should be encrypted with the key stream (Mousa and Hamad, 2006). RC4 is used to secure the communication between various browsers by the use of the SSL. In addition, RC4 is also utilized in the encryption of traffic from different websites (Mousa and Hamad, 2006).

Block Cypher

            The Block cypher technology is an encryption algorithm that encrypt data in huge sizes. The block cypher exists due to the shortcoming of the stream cypher which uses single bit to encrypt data (Mousa and Hamad, 2006). The technology works by identifying the data and breaking it down into different blocks that use keys to encrypt the message. Block cypher is used in the financial sector to reduce the incidences of fraud in transactions (Blockcypher.com, 2018)

References

Blockcypher.com. (2018). Block Cypher. Retrieved 14th April, 2018 from

https://www.blockcypher.com/case-studies.html

Ebrahim, M., Khan, S., and Khalid, U.B. (2015). Symmetric Algorithm Survey: A Comparative

Analysis. International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 –8887) Volume 61–No.20, 12-19.

Mousa, A., and Hamad, A. (2006). Evaluation of the RC4 Algorithm for Data Encryption.

International Journal of Computer Science & Application. Vol 3, No.2, 44-56. 

Perrin, C. (2007). Use the Blowfish Cipher to Improve Password Security. Retrieved 14th April,

2018 from https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-security/use-the-blowfish-cipher-to-improve-password-security/