2020 was a rollercoaster ride for business; firms were under pressure to keep their business up and running. Businesses thought the next year would be more rewarding, but in reality, Cisco’s and enterprises’ security teams were pressured to safeguard their business from security threats. 2021 was marked as the next wave of disruption in cryptography. And the same is true for the year 2022.
With the advancement in cyber-crimes, cybercriminals are looking for a new and innovative toolbox to conduct data breaches. And this is why businesses are ready to pay a huge amount to cyber security professionals who have the necessary certifications like ethical hacking certification to protect their system from black hat hackers.
In recent times, crypt analysis has become the number one technique businesses use to safeguard their data from hackers. Cryptanalysis experts have the skills to decrypt encrypted messages and have the necessary knowledge to prevent hackers from breaking into the system.
So, what is cryptanalysis, and is it the right career option for cyber security professionals? Let’s find out!
Let’s Decode the Word Cryptanalysis
Cryptanalysis is the art and science of analyzing and decrypting ciphers, codes, and messages. The cryptanalysis experts study ciphers, cryptosystems, and ciphertext to understand their functions and use the knowledge to improve the system’s cyber security. The main objective of conducting cryptanalysis is to find weaknesses in the system and defeat cryptographic algorithms. The results obtained during the cryptanalyst process find usage in improving and strengthening the encrypted data.
Cryptanalysis and cryptographers are two important sides of the same coin. While a cryptanalyst is the one who cracks the encryption codes, a cryptographer is the one who writes encryption codes used in cyber security.
Why Is Cryptanalysis Important for Businesses?
If you want to build a rewarding cyber security career, cryptanalysis may be the golden opportunity. As a cryptanalyst, you will be responsible for finding and correcting weaknesses in the system. Cryptanalysis is one of the most vital methods businesses use to boost the security of their system. The investment in creating a secure system pays for itself in the long run. According to a study conducted by Accenture, 43 % of cyber-attacks take place keeping the small business in mind. But, only 14 % of the companies have the defense mechanism to protect themselves against such attacks.
Encryption is one of the most effective lines of defense businesses can use to safeguard their data against cyber criminals. Cyber security professionals use cryptanalysis to find vulnerabilities in the cryptosystem and test the security features of the company’s products. Both black hat and white hat hackers use cryptanalysis. If you are interested in encryption and decryption, enroll in our top-rated cyber security courses to know more about code and numbers.
Different Cryptanalysis Attacks and Techniques Businesses Must Know About
Cryptology is divided into two parts- cryptography which deals with codes, and cryptanalysis, which involves a deep study of the cryptographic algorithm and cracking secret codes. If you want to become a cryptographer or cryptanalyst, enroll in our online cyber security courses to know about the main types of cryptanalytic attacks:
Known Plaintext Attacks: In this attack, the cryptanalyst focuses on the plain text pairs collected earlier and the intercepted ciphertext they want to break in.
Ciphertext-only attacks: Here, the hacker has access to only ciphertext used to discover the corresponding key and plaintext. In this attack, hackers understand the algorithm and can intercept the ciphertext.
Chosen-Plaintext Analysis or CPA: In this type of attack, the hacker chooses a random plaintext and then acquires the corresponding ciphertext. The key task is to find the encryption key. The attack is similar to KPA and easy to implement, and the success rate is high.
Man in The Middle Attack: Under such an attack, hackers get their hands on the key or message used by two parties for carrying out the communication. Attackers plan an attack to block the messages that pass through the communication channel.
Differential Cryptanalysis Attack: It’s a chosen-plaintext attack carried out on a block of ciphers that analyze pairs of plaintext instead of single plaintexts. This is done to determine how the targeted algorithm works when it encounters different data types.
Adaptive Chosen Plaintext Attack: it is similar to the CPA attack, where the attacker uses plaintext and ciphertext based on the data learned from the past encryptions.
Dictionary Attack: People often use passwords containing easy-to-guess alphabets sequences or actual words. Analysts exploit this to encrypt all the words in the dictionary and check if the results match the encrypted password present in the SAM file or another password file.
Common Cryptanalysis Tools Used by Cryptanalysts
- Cryptol: an open-source license that analysts use to monitor how algorithms operate in programs that specify ciphers or algorithms.
- CrypTool: it’s an open-source offering that provides eLearning programs to help users learn more about cryptographic algorithms and cryptanalysis.
- Ganzua: it’s an open-source multi-platform Java-based tool that helps analysts define almost any arbitrary cipher and plain text alphabets.
Key Responsibilities of Cryptanalyst
- Design a security system that prevents vulnerabilities.
- Protect critical sensitive information from hackers.
- Evaluate, analyze and target vulnerabilities in the firm’s cryptographic system and algorithms.
- Find out weaknesses in the communication lines.
- Test the computational models for accuracy and reliability.
- Ensure the message or transmission data isn’t hacked or changed in transit.
- Create a statistical and mathematical model to analyze data and test them out.
Want to gain the skills needed to perform the above job duties and earn a rewarding job as a cryptanalyst? If so, School.infosec4tc has in store for you the best cyber security training courses where you will work on real job assignments. Become a part of the top-rated courses and gain essential cyber security skills in the comforts of your home.