Symmetric-key algorithm: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:19, 22 October 2023

Revision as of 14:40, 29 October 2023

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{{Short description|Algorithm}}

[[File:Simple symmetric encryption.png|thumb|320x320px|Symmetric-key encryption: the same key is used for both encryption and decryption]]

'''Symmetric-key algorithms'''{{efn|Other terms for symmetric-key encryption are ''secret-key'', ''single-key'', ''shared-key'', ''one-key'', and ''private-key'' encryption. Use of the last and first terms can create ambiguity with similar terminology used in [[public-key cryptography]]. Symmetric-key cryptography is to be contrasted with [[asymmetric-key cryptography]].}} are [[algorithm]]s for [[cryptography]] that use the same [[Key (cryptography)|cryptographic keys]] for both the encryption of [[plaintext]] and the decryption of [[ciphertext]]. The keys may be identical, or there may be a simple transformation to go between the two keys.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kartit|first=Zaid|date=February 2016|title=Applying Encryption Algorithms for Data Security in Cloud Storage, Kartit, et al. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEGFCwAAQBAJ&q=%22keys+may+be+identical%22&pg=PA147|journal=Advances in Ubiquitous Networking: Proceedings of UNet15|pages=147|isbn=9789812879905}}</ref> The keys, in practice, represent a [[shared secret]] between two or more parties that can be used to maintain a private information link.<ref>{{cite book |author=Delfs, Hans |author2=Knebl, Helmut |chapter = Symmetric-key encryption |title = Introduction to cryptography: principles and applications |publisher = Springer |year = 2007 |isbn = 9783540492436 |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Nnvhz_VqAS4C&pg=PA11 }}</ref> The requirement that both parties have access to the secret key is one of the main drawbacks of symmetric-key encryption, in comparison to [[Public key encryption|public-key encryption]] (also known as asymmetric-key encryption).<ref>{{cite book |author=Mullen, Gary |author2=Mummert, Carl |title = Finite fields and applications |publisher = American Mathematical Society |year = 2007 |isbn = 9780821844182 |page = 112 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yDgWctqWL4wC&pg=PA112 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-symmetric-and-asymmetric-key-encryption/ |title = Demystifying symmetric and asymmetric methods of encryption |publisher = Geeks for Geeks |date = 2017-09-28 }}</ref> However, symmetric-key encryption algorithms are usually better for bulk encryption. With exception of the [[one-time pad]] they have a smaller key size, which means less storage space and faster transmission. Due to this, asymmetric-key encryption is often used to exchange the secret key for symmetric-key encryption.<ref>{{Citation|last=Johnson|first=Leighton|title=Security Component Fundamentals for Assessment|date=2016|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-802324-2.00011-7|work=Security Controls Evaluation, Testing, and Assessment Handbook|pages=531–627|publisher=Elsevier|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-802324-2.00011-7|isbn=9780128023242|s2cid=63087943 |access-date=2021-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Alvarez |first1=Rafael |last2=Caballero-Gil |first2=Cándido |last3=Santonja |first3=Juan |last4=Zamora |first4=Antonio |date=2017-06-27 |title=Algorithms for Lightweight Key Exchange |journal=Sensors |language=en |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=1517 |doi=10.3390/s17071517 |issn=1424-8220 |pmc=5551094 |pmid=28654006|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bernstein |first1=Daniel J. |last2=Lange |first2=Tanja |date=2017-09-14 |title=Post-quantum cryptography |url=http://www.nature.com/articles/nature23461 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=549 |issue=7671 |pages=188–194 |doi=10.1038/nature23461 |pmid=28905891 |bibcode=2017Natur.549..188B |s2cid=4446249 |issn=0028-0836}}</ref>

== Types ==

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Symmetric ciphers have historically been susceptible to [[known-plaintext attack]]s, [[chosen-plaintext attack]]s, [[differential cryptanalysis]] and [[linear cryptanalysis]]. Careful construction of the functions for each [[Round (cryptography)|round]] can greatly reduce the chances of a successful attack.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} It is also possible to increase the key length or the rounds in the encryption process to better protect against attack. This, however, tends to increase the processing power and decrease the speed at which the process runs due to the amount of operations the system needs to do.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Hack proofing your network|date=2002|publisher=Syngress|author=David R. Mirza Ahmad |author2=Ryan Russell|isbn=1-932266-18-6|edition=2nd |___location=Rockland, MA|pages=165–203|oclc=51564102}}</ref>

Most modern symmetric-key algorithms appear to be resistant to the threat of [[post-quantum cryptography]].<ref name="djb-intro">{{cite book |author=Daniel J. Bernstein |title=Post-Quantum Cryptography |year=2009 |chapter=Introduction to post-quantum cryptography |author-link=Daniel J. Bernstein |chapter-url=http://www.pqcrypto.org/www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9783540887010-c1.pdf}}</ref> [[Quantum computing|Quantum computers]] would exponentially increase the speed at which these ciphers can be decoded; notably, [[Grover's algorithm]] would take the square-root of the time traditionally required for a [[brute-force attack]], although these vulnerabilities can be compensated for by doubling key length.<ref name="djb-groverr">{{cite journal |author=Daniel J. Bernstein |author-link=Daniel J. Bernstein |date=2010-03-03 |title=Grover vs. McEliece |url=http://cr.yp.to/codes/grovercode-20100303.pdf}}</ref> For example, a 128 bit AES cipher would not be secure against such an attack as it would reduce the time required to test all possible iterations from over 10 quintillion years to about six months. By contrast, it would still take a quantum computer the same amount of time to decode a 256 bit AES cipher as it would a conventional computer to decode a 128 bit AES cipher.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Lamont |date=2011-03-21 |title=The Clock Is Ticking for Encryption |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2550008/the-clock-is-ticking-for-encryption.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Computerworld |language=en}}</ref> For this reason, AES-256 is believed to be "quantum resistant".<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Shea |first=Dan |date=2022-04-29 |title=AES-256 joins the quantum resistance |url=https://www.fierceelectronics.com/electronics/aes-256-joins-quantum-resistance |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Fierce Electronics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |lastlast1=Weissbaum |firstfirst1=François |title=Symmetric Cryptography |date=2023 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33386-6_2 |work=Trends in Data Protection and Encryption Technologies |pages=7–10 |editor-last=Mulder |editor-first=Valentin |access-date=2023-09-12 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer Nature Switzerland |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-33386-6_2 |isbn=978-3-031-33386-6 |last2=Lugrin |first2=Thomas |editor2-last=Mermoud |editor2-first=Alain |editor3-last=Lenders |editor3-first=Vincent |editor4-last=Tellenbach |editor4-first=Bernhard}}</ref>

== Key management ==

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"it is vital that the secret keys be generated from an unpredictable random-number source."

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{{cite web |firstfirst1=Thomas |lastlast1=Ristenpart |first2=Scott |last2=Yilek |title=When Good Randomness Goes Bad: Virtual Machine Reset Vulnerabilities and Hedging Deployed Cryptography |date=2010 |work=NDSS Symposium 2010 |url=https://www.ndss-symposium.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/rist.pdf |quote=Random number generators (RNGs) are consistently a weak link in the secure use of cryptography.}}

</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.webhosting.uk.com/blog/symmetric-cryptography/ |title = Symmetric Cryptography |publisher = James |date = 2006-03-11 }}</ref>