Encryption School Project

[Tomatodude95]

To finish off at my school in Switzerland, I have to write a final paper. I have decided to do it on Encryption and how it works. 

In addition to the paper itself I would like to create some program, app or something.

That's were I need your help, I have had some vague ideas but non of them were really convincing.

I wanted to ask if you had any ideas on what I should do/program? 

I would like it to be useful and maybe be used when done, but that's not a criteria.

 

Thanks for your help, it's much appreciated!!

[Paralectic]

Why not Encrypt some text, use a few hashes and there you are. Just make sure the encryption isn't cracked yet.

You could make a simple login form with a local database and encrypt the password.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

What level are we talking about here? High school? University?

[Ivyk]

What level are we talking about here? High school? University?

Going on his profile pic, I'd say middle/high school?

[Tomatodude95]

Christian: Finishing off high-school.

Paralectic: It's a large project, I have almost a year to finish it! I wanna do something a bit more complex an difficult!

[Starglider]

1. Start by looking into and documenting basic cyphers

2. Then look into and document Cryptography from the old days to now

3. Look up php encryption and install wamp on your windows machine so you can develop and test your own encryption methods

4. Look up php MD5 and SHA, 128bit, 256bit, 512bit encryption & decryption

5. Create your own salted encryption method

[LAwLz]

OP I recommend you start with something really basic like Caesar Cipther or Scytale then move into more advanced things after that. Maybe recreate the engima machine? It is very well documented so it's fairly easy to understand how it works.

What you could do is write how awful Telegram's encryption is.

 

If you want to do a good job then I think you have taken on more than you can handle. Encryption is very, very difficult to do properly and you need years and years of experience, as well as a very deep understanding of math. If you only need to write about it though then look up the basics and then there is a ton of great material about for example why Telegram's protocol is really bad. You could also write about how the leaks from Snowden has affected people and why good encryption is more necessary now than ever before.

[MatheusSanzo]

Create an well encrypted XMPP chat app.

 

Seems popular these days.

[Tomatodude95]

1. Start by looking into and documenting basic cyphers

2. Then look into and document Cryptography from the old days to now

3. Look up php encryption and install wamp on your windows machine so you can develop and test your own encryption methods

4. Look up php MD5 and SHA, 128bit, 256bit, 512bit encryption & decryption

5. Create your own salted encryption method

 

First of all thanks for your help!

 

I'm looking into the basics right now and will do some research on to more complicated stuff later on. The only thing I don't know is if it's not too complicated to create and actually new algorithm myself. What do you think?

 

 

OP I recommend you start with something really basic like Caesar Cipther or Scytale then move into more advanced things after that. Maybe recreate the engima machine? It is very well documented so it's fairly easy to understand how it works.

What you could do is write how awful Telegram's encryption is.

 

If you want to do a good job then I think you have taken on more than you can handle. Encryption is very, very difficult to do properly and you need years and years of experience, as well as a very deep understanding of math. If you only need to write about it though then look up the basics and then there is a ton of great material about for example why Telegram's protocol is really bad. You could also write about how the leaks from Snowden has affected people and why good encryption is more necessary now than ever before.

 

I completely agree, encryption is a very difficult and complicated topic. I will definitely get to use your ideas, thanks, but was actually quite looking forward to programming something a long an app or program using encryption. Maybe something that doesn't exist yet and would be useful (unlikely) or something that has been done before but badly implemented.

[Starglider]

Encryption can be very complicated but that doesn't mean it has to be...

 

EG 1

26 letters A to Z. 1 becomes 4, 5 becomes 1, 2 becomes 3 etc.... Reverse it for decryption sequence, quite simple that one

 

EG 2

Encryption algorithm: Letter pos * 43 / 3.142 * 99 / 12 * 433 / 12

Apply to alphabet or message for encryption

Reverse equation for decryption

 

EG 3

Google a fractal equation that has only 1 input paramater (time), use the letter position (instead of time) in the alphabet shifted 1 times to the right (Z = pos 1, A = pos 2) apply to message.

[Tomatodude95]

Encryption can be very complicated but that doesn't mean it has to be...

 

EG 1

26 letters A to Z. 1 becomes 4, 5 becomes 1, 2 becomes 3 etc.... Reverse it for decryption sequence, quite simple that one

 

EG 2

Encryption algorithm: Letter pos * 43 / 3.142 * 99 / 12 * 433 / 12

Apply to alphabet or message for encryption

Reverse equation for decryption

 

EG 3

Google a fractal equation that has only 1 input paramater (time), use the letter position (instead of time) in the alphabet shifted 1 times to the right (Z = pos 1, A = pos 2) apply to message.

 

Yes I know it doesn't have to be complicated but if you get into the nitty gritty of modern cryptography it definitely becomes complex.

However I think I'm somehow getting the hang of it and understanding the theory behind it is not the part I'm worried about.

I just would like to create something that I or someone else will find useful later on.