What is link encryption method?

- Link encryption method is one of the classic methods used in the digital communications for the application of the crypto.

- Link encryption method has been designed for hiding the secrets and preventing the forgery of data. 

- It is quite a simple concept that has been discussed here and it fits for all the types of existing applications and software used in the communication.  

- Even though this method does not works well enough for most of the applications, it is the simplest of all. 

- Link encryption method is a security measure that should be used only if your security objectives match with those of the link encryption method. 

- It is commonly used in the applications where a boundary has to be maintained between the internal users and the external users. 

- With the link encryption it gets easy for the internal users to share data whereas it is just the opposite for the external users. 

- It provides transparent protection except for the separation that is maintained between the two classes of the users. 

Below we mention some security objectives that can be met with the link encryption:

Ø  Maintaining confidentiality: Our systems of course store very sensitive data. While exchanging the data with other systems, it is required that the risk of leakage involved should be as minimum as possible.

Ø  Communication with the outsiders: Obviously, we do not want to share our data with the unwanted outsiders and unauthorized sites and so we want these to be blocked. Such exchanges should be prevented from happening even by carelessness or accident.

Ø  Hiding data traffic: As much as possible we want our data and its details to be shielded from the outsiders. This data might contain information about the destination host and other info necessary for communication control. However, here it is assumed that the information will not be leaked by the insiders.

Ø  Familiarity and safety: We rank these two factors above the cost.

Ø  Protection of the data transfers: We need protection for our data against any sort of tampering or forgery by the outsiders during the transition. An assurance is important.  This objective is unconditionally met by this link encryption method.

- From security standpoint, a design is yielded by the link encryption that is highly reliable. 

- If in your organization some security parameter has been established that is strong enough, link encryption is the best technique for its maintenance. 

- A strict control is kept over the flow of physical documents through this security parameter. 

- The link encryption provides a complementary protection for the flow of the electronic documents. 

- We can have an environment with every data link that traverses the boundary having encryptors. 

- The documents will be kept within the parameter limits. 

- The data leaving the parameter will be protector by means of the encryptors. 

- Link encryption method is being used since years in banking organizations and military communications for providing secure links. 

- The link encryption uses the in-line encryptors as its building blocks.

- This hardware devices takes plain text and converts it into cipher text.

The encryptors have their own vulnerabilities as mentioned below:

Ø  Rewrite attacks: It is also known as the plain-text attack, it is used for forging the messages. Few crypto algorithms are vulnerable to these attacks.

Ø  Replay attacks: Most of us think that the encrypted data is self-validating and so by matching the encryptor with its keys a sensibly de-crypting message can be generated. Since the encrypted data is accessible to the outsiders, they can also access the message that decrypts sensibly.

Ø  Covert signaling attacks: This attack is based on the idea that there is always a way to leak info if there exists an internal process that tries to do so.