Cryptography can be applied to ensure confidentiality, integrity, Authentication, Authorization and Non-repudiation

PKI is a framework that manages the generation, distribution, and verification of digital keys and certificates.

A digital signature is a cryptographic technique that provides a secure way to sign electronic documents or messages. It involves using a private key to generate a unique signature, which can be verified by anyone with access to the corresponding public key. Digital signatures ensure the authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation of the signed content in digital transactions.

The correct answer is “All the above.”

Here’s why:

Signing digital documents: Digital signatures provide integrity and authenticity for documents, ensuring the sender is who they claim to be and the document has not been altered.
Encrypting emails: Digital signatures can be used along with encryption to ensure that the email content has not been tampered with and the sender’s identity is verified.
Authenticating digital certificates: Certificates used in public key infrastructures (PKI) are authenticated through digital signatures, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of the certificate.
Thus, digital signatures play a crucial role in all of these areas.

The correct answer is PKI (Public Key Infrastructure).

PKI is a framework that enables the verification and authentication of the identity of entities (which can include individuals, devices, or services) within an enterprise. It uses digital certificates and public-key cryptography to secure data exchange and establish trust between communicating parties.

Here’s a brief overview of the other options in this context:

1. Single sign-on (SSO): While it simplifies the authentication process for users accessing multiple services, it does not specifically verify the identity of entities at a broader level.
2. SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture): This is an architectural design that enables services to communicate and interact but is not focused on identity verification or authentication.
3. SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language): While SAML is used for exchanging authentication and authorization data, it relies on underlying frameworks like PKI for the verification and authentication of identities.

A digital certificate is an electronic document that verifies the identity of an entity, such as an individual, a device, or a website. It contains information about the entity’s public key and is digitally signed by a trusted third party called a Certificate Authority (CA). Digital certificates are used in various security protocols, such as SSL/TLS for secure communication on the internet, to establish trust and ensure the authenticity of the entities involved. They play a crucial role in enabling secure and encrypted communication in digital environments.

A digital certificate typically contains the following information:

Public Key:

The user’s or entity’s public key, which is used for encryption and verifying digital signatures.

Identity Information:

Information about the certificate holder, such as name, email address, and organization.

Issuer Information:

Details about the entity that issued the certificate, including its digital signature.

Validity Period:

The period during which the certificate is considered valid.

Serial Number:

A unique identifier for the certificate.

Digital Signature:

A cryptographic signature created by the certificate issuer to verify the certificate’s authenticity.

Certificate Authority (CA) Information:

Details about the certificate authority that issued and signed the certificate.

A digital certificate is used at all of the mentioned areas

Digital certificates are issued by trusted third-party entities known as Certificate Authorities (CAs). These organizations verify the identity of individuals, devices, or websites and bind their public keys to digital certificates. The CA’s digital signature on the certificate assures users of the certificate’s authenticity and the associated entity’s identity.

The primary distinction between public-key (asymmetric) and symmetric key systems lies in the use and management of keys.

Hashing is an effective protection against disclosure attacks in password databases because hashing is a One-way Function, provides data Integrity, no direct password exposure, adding salting prevents rainbow table attacks and hashing generates same output irrespective of complexity and Length.

The equation used to calculate the number of symmetric keys needed is N (N – 1)/2; where N is number of participants (not so scalable!)

In short, digital signatures provide non-repudiation by uniquely tying a signature to the sender’s private key. The signature can be verified by anyone using the sender’s public key, providing cryptographic proof of the sender’s identity. The tamper detection feature ensures that any alteration to the signed message is detectable, making it difficult for the legitimate signer to deny their involvement or disown the content. The trust in non-repudiation is established through the involvement of a trusted Certificate Authority, which verifies and links the public key to the identity of the signer.

Key distribution issues arise in symmetric key systems due to the challenge of securely sharing and managing a single secret key among communicating parties. The need for a secure and efficient method to distribute and update the shared key poses logistical difficulties, especially as the number of communicating entities increases. This challenge contrasts with asymmetric key systems, where public and private keys can be openly distributed without compromising security.

The role of a Validation Authority (VA) is to verify and validate digital certificates, ensuring the authenticity and legitimacy of the certificates issued by a Certificate Authority (CA). The VA plays a crucial role in confirming the accuracy of the information contained in digital certificates, helping establish trust in the digital identity of entities within a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

In public key cryptography, the sender encrypts with the recipient’s public key.

The thumbprint is commonly used for various security purposes, including certificate validation and verification. When a digital certificate is issued, its thumbprint is calculated and included in the certificate. Users can then compare this thumbprint with the calculated thumbprint at the receiving end to ensure that the certificate has not been tampered with during transmission.

Typically, algorithms like SHA-256 are employed to generate digital certificate thumbprints due to their collision resistance and cryptographic strength. The thumbprint provides a convenient and secure means to verify the integrity of digital certificates.

SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is frequently utilized to generate digital certificate thumbprints. It is a commonly used and secure hash algorithm in the generation of thumbprints for digital certificates.

The equation used to calculate the number of asymmetric keys
needed is N*2; where N is number of participants

In public key cryptography, the receiver decrypts the data with the receiver’s private key.

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is the standard algorithm for symmetric cryptography.

It is computationally infeasible to reverse the process and obtain the original input from the hash value.

Encryption is considered a preventive security control because it proactively protects sensitive information by converting it into unreadable and unintelligible form. This prevents unauthorized access and disclosure of data, adding a layer of security to ensure that even if a breach occurs, the intercepted information remains confidential and secure.

A rainbow table attack, known plaintext attack and birthday attacks are various types of cryptographic attack.