Questions in Network Security - Coursework Example

Role of digital certificate and digital certification ity Digital certificates are more like identification cards in that they are electronic credentials that serve the purpose of certifying online identities of organizations, computers and individuals as an entity on the network. In addition, the certificates also contain the public key of the owner and also feature the organization that issued the certificate. These certificates are certified and issued by certificate authorities (CAs). The main function of CAs is to issue digital certificates.

The other role of CA is to confirm the identity of the certificate’s holder or certificate’s subject and attest that the generated certificate’s public key is that of the certificate’s holder or certificate’s subject (Shoniregun 84).Advantages of combined a/symmetric cryptography over both cryptographies In symmetric key encryption (secret key encryption) method, data is scrambled by pressing same key to both decrypt and encrypt it while in asymmetric encryption (public key encryption), different keys are used to decrypt and encrypt.

In addition to this, asymmetric encryption allows sharing of key since decryption key is kept to oneself while with symmetric key encryption, the key have to be kept secret. In combined a/symmetric encryption, a random symmetric key is created to encrypt the data then the key is encrypted asymmetrically. The key is added to the encrypted message after being asymmetrically encrypted (Shoniregun 122). After the receiver gets the key, using their private key they decrypt it and decrypts the message using it.

Combined a/symmetric cryptography has several advantages over both cryptographies:Combining symmetric and asymmetric encryption can help reduce brute force attack which is a common weakness of symmetric keys whereby, to break the encryption all keys in the key space are tried.Asymmetric encryption helps in preventing creation of point attack while trying to improve feasibility of encrypted information through use of clearinghouse in symmetric encryption involving a large number of people.The combines of the two methods takes the advantage of the speed of symmetric encryption with the convenience of asymmetric encryption.

Combination of the two helps solve the associated slow problem of asymmetric algorithms since symmetric encryption is approximately a hundred to a thousand times faster than asymmetric encryption. When combined, key distributions and performance are facilitated without any security sacrifices.How SSL/TLS works SSL and TLS certificates are small sized data files used to digitally attach a cryptographic key onto organizational details. They both designed to serve the purpose of ensuring communications security over any computer network.

These protocols directly operates on TCP’s top (though, there they are also implemented to suite datagram based protocols like UDP). Through this, secure connection is still provided and still top layers protocols remain unchanged (like HTTP). Underneath the SSL layer, HTTP and HTTPS are identical. When using TLS/SSL appropriately, all what is visible to an attacker over the cable is which port and IP you are connected to, roughly what compression and encryption is used and the quantity of data you are sending.

He/she can also be able to end the connection, but this is realizable by both parties that a third party has tampered with the connections (Shoniregun 159).Web ServersCA Name/ ClassAsymmetric Algorithm/Key lengthSymmetric Algorithm/Key lengthHash AlgorithmYour Rating of Security(1-5)FidelityEntrust Certification Authority-L1E2048-bit _RSA-SHA23.5ScottradeVeriSign Class 3 Extended Validation SSL SGC CA2048-bit _RSA-SHA13.7PNCSymantec class 3 EV CA – G22048-bit _RSA-SHA13.6ChaseSymantec class 3 EV CA – G22048-bit _RSA-SHA13.

4GmailGoogle Internet Authority2048-bit _RSA-SHA14Yahoo! MailVeriSign Class 3 Public Primary Certification Authority – G52048-bit _RSA-SHA13.9 TwitterSymantec class 3 CA – G42048-bit _RSA-SHA2564.2Conclusion Security in internet connection and sending of information over the network is every individual’s, company’s or organization’s interests. Many are the times when personal or confidential information is read by unwanted or unauthorized persons through hacking.

Encryption is one of the major protector and counter of this vice when properly done and through the right procedures. A choice has to be made on which cryptography to go for depending on the sensitivity of the information and the level of security desired.Works CitedShoniregun, Charles A. Synchronizing Internet Protocol Security (sipsec). New York: Springer, 2007. Print.