Cryptography in Wireless Networks, Smart Cards, and E-Commerce

Introduction to Cryptography

Information systems technology has become an essential aspect of business and industry in recent years. As a result, organizations and individuals alike have formulated ways to keep information secure and private. Cryptography is vital to the development of the ever-growing information technology world. This paper focuses on the role of cryptography in wireless networks, smart cards, content delivery services, e-commerce, and healthcare. The discussion will demonstrate that cryptography is an enabling technology vital for the development of the information society, including applications such as smart cards (for identification and financial transactions), content delivery services (pay-per-view audio/video), and wireless networks.

Cryptography is defined as "the science of designing cipher systems, whereas cryptanalysis is the name given to the process of deducing information about plaintext from the ciphertext without being given the appropriate key. Cryptology is the collective term for both cryptography and cryptanalysis" (Murphy & Piper, 2002).

Murphy and Piper (2002) also explain that the purpose of a cipher system is to hide private or confidential information in a manner that makes it impossible to understand. There are two primary uses for a cipher system: to securely store data and to broadcast data over an insecure channel. Cipher systems do not prevent people from accessing data, but they do guarantee that an unauthorized individual will not be able to decipher it.

The concealed information is referred to as the plaintext, and the process of disguising the information is referred to as encryption. The encrypted plaintext is known as ciphertext or cryptogram, while the guidelines used to encrypt plaintext constitute the encryption algorithm (Murphy & Piper, 2002). In most cases, the algorithm's ability to function depends upon the encryption key, which is input to the algorithm alongside the message. A decryption algorithm must also be present to allow the recipient to recover the message from the cryptogram. When the decryption algorithm is used with the proper decryption key, the plaintext is recovered from the ciphertext. The guidelines constituting a cryptographic algorithm are typically very complex and require careful design (Murphy & Piper, 2002).

An individual who intercepts a message is referred to as an interceptor, also called an enemy, eavesdropper, or adversary (Murphy & Piper, 2002). It is worth noting that an interceptor is not always a malicious actor. Even if an interceptor understands the decryption algorithm, they typically do not know the decryption key, which makes it difficult for them to understand the plaintext (Murphy & Piper, 2002).

Cryptography in Wireless Networks

In recent years, wireless networks have become a vital source of communication for businesses and home users. Wireless networks are popular because they provide greater mobility and access to information, and they can be found in airports, coffee shops, and many other public places. Although wireless networks are extremely popular, they can also be difficult to secure. Several studies have shown that wireless networks leave users open to many vulnerabilities. Cryptography has long been used to address this issue.

Initially, a cryptography technology known as Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was utilized. WEP offered little protection to wireless networks and their users. According to Piazza (2003):

"Academicians and security experts began exposing the gaping holes in WEP not long after the standard was released in late 1999 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Ken Evans, vice president of marketing and product management at Fortress Technologies, says that WEP's biggest flaw was what he calls a bad implementation of good cryptography. 'Think of a keychain with only four keys,' he says, referring to WEP's rotation of only four encryption keys. 'It's pretty easy for someone, once they find the right key, to open all the doors'" (Piazza, 2003).

Once the key is found and an individual has the time and processing power, he or she will have access to the data transmission and will be able to decipher information about the wireless network and its users, including the internet protocol (IP) address (Piazza, 2003). Once the IP address is known, the network becomes extremely vulnerable.

To combat the problems associated with WEP, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) was developed as a temporary solution until a better-designed protocol could be implemented (Piazza, 2003). WPA addressed the aforementioned security issues by presenting a larger number of keys in a more frequent rotation, thus making it significantly more difficult for an individual to gain access to and decipher the encryption during transmission (Piazza, 2003). WPA is also designed to provide strong user authentication, which begins prior to encryption. Furthermore, WPA was a popular choice because it could be upgraded, meaning users would not have to purchase new hardware to receive more advanced security options (Piazza, 2003).

The design of WPA drew from the IEEE protocol known as 802.11i. This protocol was significant because it provided a more intensive level of encryption known as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (Piazza, 2003). AES provided slightly better security, but WPA solved the fundamental vulnerability of wireless networks (Piazza, 2003).

Cryptography plays an important role in securing wireless networks, which are a vital communications tool in an increasingly global world. Without cryptography, information could easily fall into the hands of individuals who would cause harm to businesses and individuals alike. Businesses use wireless networks to share sensitive information over significant distances — for instance, to email confidential data or to complete purchases. If the network is not secured with appropriate cryptography, competitors may be able to obtain sensitive business information, resulting in the loss of competitive advantage.

The use of cryptography for wireless networks is equally important for individual users. People increasingly use the internet to access bank accounts, pay bills, and make purchases, meaning that banking and credit card information is constantly transmitted online. Cryptography secures this information and ensures it is not stolen or used by unauthorized persons.