Analysis of Route Cipher Algorithm in Cyber Security Fundamentals

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the route cipher algorithm, a type of transposition cipher widely used in cyber security for encrypting messages. The report begins by explaining the algorithm's process, which involves creating a grid with a secret key and encrypting data by determining its size. It then delves into the practical applications of the route cipher, highlighting its historical use, especially during the American Civil War, and its contemporary role in data encryption. The report also discusses the strengths of the algorithm, such as its efficiency in encoding and decoding messages, and its ability to provide a secure way of encrypting data. However, the report also points out the weaknesses, including its reliance on imagination in route selection and the potential for inappropriate route choices. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of the route cipher algorithm in securely transmitting data and ensuring message confidentiality.

Running head: FUNDAMENTALS OF CYBER SECURITY
Fundamentals of Cyber Security
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Table of Contents
Analysis of Router cipher algorithm................................................................................................2
Major application of route cipher....................................................................................................2
Strength and weakness of using Route cipher algorithm.................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................5

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Analysis of Router cipher algorithm
The report aims at describing the route cipher algorithm. Route cipher method is known
as transposition cipher method that is used mainly for the purpose of encrypting the message.
The first step that is included in this is creating a grid of one dimension with the help of a secret
key and second comes encrypting the data by determining data size (Samid 2015). This report
will analyze the route cipher algorithm in details. In addition to this the strengths, weakness and
the application of this algorithm will also be described in the report. The data are being
transmitted from one place to another without being tampered by any unauthorized person. Route
cipher algorithm comes under transposition cipher. In transposition cipher method the texts are
encrypted by determining the position of plain texts. The plain text position gets shifted from
regular system and ensures a better functioning of the cipher.
Major application of route cipher
1. Route cipher has great use in historical period and was used by Union forces during
American civil war. The algorithm helped in moving whole words around instead of
transposing letters. However it is observed that there were some words that were not
protected in this way and they were further encoded with the use of codeword (Pachghare
2015).
2. Another major application of route cipher is that it ensures better way of encrypting data.
In order to perform the encryption with the use of router cipher algorithm there is no need
of additional requirement. The encryption of text using route cipher is done using laces.
Encryption is a method that is used for conversion of data into a different form that is

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called cipher. This text is encrypted so that unauthorized person does not get access over
it. It becomes important to write the plaintext in a rigid of given dimension while
encrypting the data with the use of route cipher algorithm (Jones 2016). In addition to this
with the size of message length the possible keys also increases. The user needs to decide
preferable path so that they can have a fixed amount of keys. After the plaintext is
displayed in a preferable grid the route gets assigned. This router differs widely and can
be of anytime (Iqbal, Singh and Jaiswal 2015). That includes spiral inwards from top to
right corner or in a zigzag direction.
3. Decryption is a process that is used for converting the encrypted data into its original
form so that it can be understood by receiver. For decrypting a message using router
cipher it is important for user to know the exact route along with exact width and height
of the grid (Gautam et al. 2018). After this a blank grid is being developed of different
size that is placed along with cipher texts in the specified route.
Strength and weakness of using Route cipher algorithm
The main benefit that is obtained with using route cipher algorithm is that it offers an
effective and quick way of decoding and encoding the jumbled messages. This offers a great
efficiency for a suitably length message (Walia and Kaur 2017). They have the ability to
determine the different routes along with grid. These are available for imagination and ease of
communication towards the route. Router cipher algorithm provides a better security towards the
data encrypted. This involves defining the secret key along with the size of data. Router cipher is
also known as transposition cipher that includes rearranging the plaintexts based on shapes that
are drawn on a rigid base. The user can choose any route for encoding or decoding there is no

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such limitations. Thus it offers a wide range of paths at the time of encoding. However the major
limitation that is faced with route cipher algorithm is that it is based on imagination (Cogliati and
Seurin 2016). Moreover the route cipher algorithm offers better and efficient way of decrypting
the data. Apart from this it is also observed that selecting an inappropriate route sometimes end
up to providing a better direction towards cipher text. It is important for the user to choose a
appropriate route so that it can help in producing better message. Choosing a bad and difficult
route will leave excessive chunks of plaintext that are simply reversed and this will be no use to
the users. Cryptography includes an algorithm for the purpose encrypting and decrypting
messages. There are series of well defined steps that are followed at the time of cryptography.
Ciphers are used to extract the original text and then are further encrypted to ciphertext (Poonia
and Kantha 2016). Route cipher algorithm is a cryptography method that helps in securely
transmitting the data over different location.
Conclusion
The report has explained about route cipher algorithm and the benefits that are obtained
along with the algorithm. The main aim of using route cipher algorithm is to have an easy way of
encoding and decoding the messages. This offers an easiest way of handling the message and
also ensures that the message is being decrypted efficiently with being tampered by anyone else.
Thus from this it can be stated that route cipher algorithm will ensure a better way of decoding
the messages.

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References
Cogliati, B. and Seurin, Y., 2016, March. Strengthening the known-key security notion for block
ciphers. In International Conference on Fast Software Encryption (pp. 494-513). Springer,
Berlin, Heidelberg.
Gautam, D., Agrawal, C., Sharma, P., Mehta, M. and Saini, P., 2018, May. An Enhanced Cipher
Technique Using Vigenere and Modified Caesar Cipher. In 2018 2nd International Conference
on Trends in Electronics and Informatics (ICOEI)(pp. 1-9). IEEE.
Iqbal, M.S., Singh, S. and Jaiswal, A., 2015. Symmetric key cryptography: Technological
developments in the field. International Journal of Computer Applications, 117(15).
Jones, J., 2016. A Columnar Transposition cipher in a contemporary setting. IACR Cryptology
ePrint Archive, 2016, p.5.
Pachghare, V.K., 2015. Cryptography and information security. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..
Poonia, P. and Kantha, P., 2016. Comparitive study of various substitution and transposition
Encryption Techniques. International Journal of computer applications.
Samid, G., 2015. The Ultimate Transposition Cipher (UTC). IACR Cryptology ePrint
Archive, 2015, p.1033.
Siahaan, A.P.U. and Furqan, M., 2018. A Review of Prim and Genetic Algorithms in Finding
and Determining Routes on Connected Weighted Graphs.
Soni, P.K. and Chauhan, M., 2016. Compartive Analysis of Visual Crptography Schemes. IITM
Journal of Management and IT, 7(1), pp.46-51.

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Walia, G.K. and Kaur, H., 2017, October. A Cipher Based Acknowledgement Approach for
Securing MANETs by Mitigating Black and Gray Hole Attacks. In International Conference on
Computing, Analytics and Networks (pp. 203-213). Springer, Singapore.