James Higdon, Sameer Sherwani Identity Based Cryptography James Higdon, Sameer Sherwani CpSc 624/424
Overview Type of encryption mechanisms Types of encryptions Basic Identity based encryption Advantages Disadvantages Applications -need for encryption -communication -emails -sensitive information -types of encryption -symmetric, non, public, private -types of public key -RSA -IBE is a public key encryption
Encryption - process of transforming information(plaintext) using a cipher (algorithm) to ciphertext.
Types of cryptographic mechanisms Key Authentication One way hash functions: MD5, SHA Digital signatures: Verify user: DSA Key exchange key distribution: Diffi-Hellman Key generation Block Ciphers: DES/AES; ATM, passwords
Types of keys(ciphers) Symmetric keys Traditional asymmetric keys Identity-based asymmetric keys Common public-key Algorithms ( RSA, Elliptic curve, Discrete logarithm based) Explain difference between traditional and Identity based asymmetric keys
Symmetric Encryption
Asymmetric Encryption (Public Key Infrastructure - PKI)
ID-based Encryption
Identity based Encryption(IBE) "identity-based"... mainly about keys The major differences between an identity-based system and a traditional system are How to authenticate the key How to distribute the key How to use the key
Identity based Encryption(IBE) A public-key encryption system in which an arbitrary string can be used as the public key. Any personal information: An e-mail address, a photo, and a postal address, etc Any terms and conditions, such as a time etc Developed by Adi Shamir in 1984 However, the encryption schemes were not fully used or created until 2001.
How it works Private Keys are generated by a third party Private Key Generator (PKG) PKG publishes a public master key and retains the private master key With the correct ID, users can contact the PKG to obtain the private key This way, messages may be encrypted without a prior distribution of keys between individuals
Advantages Reduces the complexity of the encryption process No certificates needed. A recipient's public key is derived from his identity. No pre-enrollment required. Keys expire, so they don't need to be revoked. In a traditional public-key system, keys must be revoked if compromised. Less vulnerable to spam. Enables postdating of messages for future decryption. Enables automatic expiration, rendering messages unreadable after a certain date.
Disadvantages Requires a centralized server. IBE's centralized approach implies that some keys must be created and held in escrow -- and are therefore at greater risk of disclosure. Requires a secure channel between a sender or recipient and the IBE server for transmitting the private key.
Real-World Application Voltage Security provide Identity-Based Encryption for emails IBE Toolkit available to those who would like to use the encryption services