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Information Security and Secret Messages. Agenda. Information Assurance Program Value of Information Secret Messages Steganography Caesar Cypher Keyword Cypher Use in IA Crypto Activity Wrap-up. Why are we here?. Graduate students at UNM’s Anderson School of Management
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Agenda • Information Assurance Program • Value of Information • Secret Messages • Steganography • Caesar Cypher • Keyword Cypher • Use in IA • Crypto Activity • Wrap-up
Why are we here? • Graduate students at UNM’s Anderson School of Management • Here to discuss Information Security and why it’s important to you as part of a course project
Information Assurance at UNM • Information assurance (IA) • Interdisciplinary field combining computer science, computer engineering, information systems and accounting • Taking measures to protect electronic information • Why study IA • There is a high demand for IA professionals and few people to fill it • IA jobs have high pay and excellent benefits • (Typical IA graduate starting salary of roughly $70,000)
Why Do We Need IA? • Is information valuable? • your identity (social security number) • your credit card information • Do you protect things that are valuable to you? • Money • Ipod • Home • What information exists electronically? • Personal information • Banking information • Company information
Scenario 1: • You want to give Sarah a note telling her that you like Jake, but you are worried about someone else reading the note. You decide to send the note in a way that only Sarah can read it. • What are some ways you can think of to do this?
Secret Messages • Often times in industry, you will have to send sensitive information through emails • If these emails were to be intercepted by the wrong person, companies may lose thousands of dollars through: • Fines for illegally sharing personal information like social security numbers of customers • Losing business because the plans for their new product was leaked to the public
Steganography • Steganography (Stego) the hiding of messages • Steganography hides messages within a picture, digital file, .mp3, au. Files, and even unused storage spaces on CDs and DVDs • Steganography can utilize the use of a key in order to make the hidden message more secure
Cryptography • Cryptography literally means “secret writing” • Encryption transforms plain text language into a secret code and sends the secret code instead of the plain text language • A key is used to decrypt the code back into plain text (make it readable)
How It Works • The are several types of encryption, two common ciphers are explained in your handout: • The Caesar Cipher • Keyword Substitution
Caesar Cipher • The first step is to assign a number to each letter of the alphabet • A = 0, B = 1, … , Y = 24, Z = 25 • The next step is to pick a “key.” The key for a Caesar Cipher is a single number between 0 and 25. • If the key equals 5, then the alphabet would be transformed to: (before) A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z (after) F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E • Essentially the entire alphabet is shifted to the left by 5 • Now we can write our secret message
Keyword Substitution • A keyword substitution uses, yes, a key word, such as “count” instead of a number for the key. • To write a keyword cipher, first write out the alphabet, then write the keyword directly below the first few letters of the alphabet. • Complete the second row by writing, in order, the unused letters • Example: a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z c o u n t a b d e f g h I j k l m p q r s v w x y z
Encryption Programs • Computer programs use algorithms to encrypt electronic data so it cannot be read without the key • Several programs have encryption capabilities such as: • Microsoft Outlook • Apple Mail • Thunderbird • TrueCrypt
Activity • Break into groups of 3-5 • You will be given a message and a cipher to encrypt it with • Use the cipher to encrypt the message in your envelope • Pick someone from your team to come write your encrypted message on the board • Raise your hand if you have questions, this should only take 5-10 minutes
Activity Continued • In your same teams, try to decipher the encrypted messages on the board • Remember • Stand alone letters are typically I or A • Most common letters are RSTLNE • Most common double letters in words are: • SS, EE, TT, FF, LL, MM, OO • Hints • All of these quotes have the word “education” • The quote authors are either: • Mark Twain • Albert Einstein • Will Durant
Wrap Up • How does encryption protect your information? • Why do we need information assurance? • Why are the lobos better than the aggies? • What questions do you have for us?