CP2414 Assignment 2: Network Security for iCreative Company

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of network security, cryptography, and cloud computing applications for iCreative, an advertising company. The report delves into the fundamentals of cryptography, exploring symmetric and asymmetric encryption methods, their purposes, and practical applications for securing data in transit and at rest. It recommends specific cryptographic algorithms like RSA and Blowfish, justifying their use based on reliability and speed. Furthermore, the report addresses message authentication, digital signatures, and user authentication, recommending software like Adobe Sign and ProtonMail. The report concludes by exploring the potential of cloud computing for data storage and management, recommending Airframe and addressing associated security risks, ultimately providing iCreative with a detailed roadmap for enhancing its data security posture.

Running head: NETWORK SECURITY 1
Network security
Student name
Institution name
Date

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Executive summary
Technology on information systems has evolved. The security measures used traditionally has
been replaced with more robust ones. The security of information in the organization system is
vital, owing to the impact of information leakage. The report herein is committed to giving an
insight into modern and robust information security systems.

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Cryptography...............................................................................................................................................3
How cryptography keeps data secure.........................................................................................................3
Symmetric encryption.................................................................................................................................3
Asymmetric encryption...............................................................................................................................4
Purpose of symmetric and asymmetric encryption on data and messages.................................................4
Data in transit..............................................................................................................................................4
How to share data in transit safely..............................................................................................................4
Recommended cryptography for data on transit........................................................................................5
Reason.....................................................................................................................................................5
Data in rest..................................................................................................................................................5
Recommended cryptography......................................................................................................................5
Justification..............................................................................................................................................5
Message authentication..........................................................................................................................5
Symmetric message encryption...................................................................................................................5
Asymmetric message encryption.................................................................................................................6
Digital signature..........................................................................................................................................6
User authentication.....................................................................................................................................6
Most recommended encryption..................................................................................................................6
Symmetrical encryption...............................................................................................................................6
Key distribution...........................................................................................................................................7
Recommendation for software....................................................................................................................7
ProtonMail...............................................................................................................................................7
Justification.................................................................................................................................................7
Possibility of employing cloud computing on valuable data........................................................................7
Recommended cloud computing.................................................................................................................8
Security risks................................................................................................................................................8
Justification for using cloud computing.......................................................................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................8
Reference....................................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Perhaps one of the greatest career achievements of my life up to date is working in
iCreative advertising company. The company is one of the fast-growing ones in Singapore.
iCreative has five branches, and its headquarter is in Brisbane. The organization has employed
about 1000 individuals in different capacities and has an average of 21 different routers hence
worthiness to discuss it in this report Acemoglu, Malekian, and Ozdaglar, (2016).
Cryptography
Cryptography is an information and communication securing technique that uses codes
derived from mathematical concepts and algorithms to obtain data and information. The prefix
“crypt” means hidden while the suffix “graph” means or stands for writing.
How cryptography keeps data secure
Cryptography uses several technologies to secure both the data in storage and transit.
These include microdots, merging words with images and conversion of plaintext into ciphertext
and vice versa processes known as encryption and decryption respectively. Encryption scrambles
data such that no third party can access its details Ayyagari, Aldrich, Corman, Gutt, and Whelan,
(2015).
Symmetric encryption
Symmetric encryption refers to the use of algorithms to create a block cipher with a
confidential key that the creator uses to encipher while the recipient uses to decipher. The sender
encrypts the data or the message as well as the confidential key to enable the recipient deciphers
the information. The symmetric encryption secures the data and ensures access is authenticated.

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Asymmetric encryption
The encryption technology involves a pair of confidential keys where a public key is
known to the creator or the sender and a confidential private key only known to the sender. The
public key is sent to the recipient to decrypt the message or the data. The private key remains
confidential unless the sender willingly sends the key to the recipient voluntarily Chen, Gong,
Xiao, and Chambers, (2015).
Purpose of symmetric and asymmetric encryption on data and messages
Confidentiality – encryption ensures the information cannot be understood by anyone
else besides the intended receiver.
Integrity – encryption ensures that no individual apart from the expected recipient can
alter or change the information content.
Authentication – the sender and the receiver can confirm the destiny and the origin of the
information, respectively Kang, and Kang, (2016).
Data in transit
Data in transit has two valid definitions. First, it can be defined as a set of data or
information on the relay or flow over public or untrusted networks with likes of the internet.
Secondly, it can be defined as a set of data in a relay over a private network with the example of
the local area network. In general terms, data in transit is data in the relay.
How to share data in transit safely
Data in transit is vulnerable and causing must be taken owing to the impact of the data
leakage. The often but less secure sharing channel is the email. It is critical to share business or
health files via email without a robust security mechanism. The sender must not avoid this even

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when sharing the information with sever. The sender must ensure the data is encrypted and can
pair and identify the recipient hence sharing the encryption keys Lin, (2015).
Recommended cryptography for data on transit
Rivest-Shamir-Adleman is the best encryption method. It is an asymmetric encryption
algorithm.
Reason
It has an extensive spread use hence reliable.
Data in rest
This refers to data or information stored in digital media.
The safest mode to have the data in rest is in encrypted mode and stores it in the cloud or on-
premises central storage to ensure it cannot be decrypted Stallings, (2017).
Recommended cryptography
Blowfish is the most recommendable encryption mode. It is a symmetrical encryption.
Justification
It is faster than its two competitors.
Message authentication
Message authentication is encryption of messages such that only the authorized person
can access the message Lin, and Liao, (2017).
Symmetric message encryption
This refers to the encryption of messages using a single private key.

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Asymmetric message encryption
This refers to an encryption technique that uses two keys, that is the private and the
public key.
Digital signature
Digital signatures are code sent together with messages to identify the origin of the
message hence combating scams. They recommendable since the recipient is able to differentiate
genuine and fake information source. The most recommendable digital signature software is the
Adobe Sign since it is faster, works with Microsoft office, simple to apply, and widely used
Perlman, Kaufman, and Speciner, (2016).
User authentication
Genuine users of a system may take advantage of leaking the information. This needs to
be controlled, as well.
Most recommended encryption
Data on transit is likely the most prone, below is the most recommendable cryptography
for end-end encryption of mails.
Symmetrical encryption
Symmetrical encryption is the most recommendable encryption since it requires sharing
of the encryption keys in every location the user want to access the information hence more
secure. The advantage of using this encryption is that it is faster and efficient and efficient where
voluminous data exchange is involved.

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Key distribution
Key distribution refers to the very specific key a given pair of sender and receiver must
share prior to sharing any piece of information after using given encryption.
Recommendation for software
ProtonMail
It’s one of the most significant ends to end mail encryption providers originating from
Gevena, Switzerland. The software only allows encryption from the sender and decryption from
the receiver. The feature takes privacy measures to an extreme extent.
Justification
The software offers extreme data privacy. It is faster than other competing software hence
widely used, making it more reliable.
Possibility of employing cloud computing on valuable data
Storing valuable business or health information meant for advertisement or about the
organization in a centralized server is a significant drawback since it acts as a central point of
data threat. It is, therefore, recommendable to move with the technology and adapt to the use of
cloud computing to and enjoy the following:
 It reduces the cost of managing the value of the computing resources through the
reduction of the expenditure incurred on storage devices Pierson, and DeHaan, (2015).
 It is highly scalable.
 It is flexible
 It has access to automatic update.

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Recommended cloud computing
Airframe – this cloud computing is the best in the sense that it adopts alternative private
clouds. The platform is suitable to the organizations since it is simple to install and provides all
of opens tacks core capabilities Shinde, and Awasthi, (2015).
Security risks
Cloud computing is risky on theft and misuse of intellectual property. The management
also is subjected to the risk of losing control to the information over the end-users. The effects of
virus and malware are also likely to bring the organization down on losing the data.
Justification for using cloud computing
The online space known as the cloud is unlimited, and the organization will cut
expenditure on storage resources. The cloud is flexible since it can be accessed from any location
using the different machine, as opposed to having the data stored in one central device Stallings,
(2016).
Conclusion
The report given is of significance to any organization dealing with valuable information.
The report explores data security management or cryptography at details and how data can be
securely transited or stored. The report also recommends on the best software’s available in the
market that can be used to create more effectiveness and more safety. The report ends by giving
a deep insight cloud computing.

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Reference
Acemoglu, D., Malekian, A., & Ozdaglar, A. (2016). Network security and contagion. Journal
of Economic Theory, 166, 536-585.
Ayyagari, A., Aldrich, T. M., Corman, D. E., Gutt, G. M., & Whelan, D. A. (2015). U.S. Patent
No. 9,215,244. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Chen, G., Gong, Y., Xiao, P., & Chambers, J. A. (2015). Physical layer network security in the
full-duplex relay system. IEEE transactions on information forensics and security, 10(3),
574-583.
Kang, M. J., & Kang, J. W. (2016). Intrusion detection system using deep neural network for in-
vehicle network security. PloS one, 11(6), e0155781.
Lin, D. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,112,895. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Lin, I. C., & Liao, T. C. (2017). A Survey of Blockchain Security Issues and Challenges. IJ
Network Security, 19(5), 653-659.
Perlman, R., Kaufman, C., & Speciner, M. (2016). Network security: private communication in a
public world. Pearson Education India.
Pierson, G., & DeHaan, J. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,203,837. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office.
Shinde, R., & Awasthi, H. M. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,148,422. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office.
Stallings, W. (2016). Network security essentials: applications and standards. Pearson.
Stallings, W. (2017). Cryptography and network security: principles and practice (pp. 92-95).
Upper Saddle River: Pearson.