background preloader

An Overview of Cryptography

An Overview of Cryptography
As an aside, the AES selection process managed by NIST was very public. A similar project, the New European Schemes for Signatures, Integrity and Encryption (NESSIE), was designed as an independent project meant to augment the work of NIST by putting out an open call for new cryptographic primitives. NESSIE ran from about 2000-2003. CAST-128/256: CAST-128, described in Request for Comments (RFC) 2144, is a DES-like substitution-permutation crypto algorithm, employing a 128-bit key operating on a 64-bit block. A digression: Who invented PKC? 3.3. Let me reiterate that hashes are one-way encryption. Hash algorithms that are in common use today include: Message Digest (MD) algorithms: A series of byte-oriented algorithms that produce a 128-bit hash value from an arbitrary-length message. A digression on hash collisions. Without meaning to editorialize too much in this tutorial, a bit of historical context might be helpful.

Tip: My Top 10 Tips for Passing the CISSP Exam My Top 10 Tips for Passing the CISSP Exam How exactly should you go about tackling this monster six-hour exam? CISSP James Michael Stewart offers his suggestions. by James Michael Stewart 9/25/2002 -- The highly respected Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) title is achieved by passing one very broad 250-question, six-hour exam. Unlike other security certifications that test your ability to implement and maintain a security infrastructure, the CISSP certifies your knowledge and understanding of security-related issues, such as physical security, business management practices, technological security controls, cryptography and cyber crime laws. With all the study material you'll need to cover, it definitely takes a good deal of time to properly prepare for the CISSP. Before I present my top 10 tips, I need to warn you: These tips are a bit different than that standard fair found on CertCities.com. You'll also see a lot of discussion about the CIA triad.

- StumbleUpon Perpetual Futility A short history of the search for perpetual motion. by Donald E. Simanek Popular histories too often present perpetual motion machines as "freaks and curiosities" of engineering without telling us just how they were understood at the time. They also fail to inform us that even in the earliest history of science and engineering, many persons were able to see the futility and folly of attempts to achieve perpetual motion. Sometimes a particular device comes to us with a label, such as "Bishop Wilkins' magnetic perpetual motion machine." Bhaskara's Wheels. Villard de Honnecourt was born in the late 12th century and probably lived and worked in the north of France from 1225 to 1250. The most celebrated of his machine designs was for a perpetual motion wheel. Many a time have skilful workmen tried to contrive a wheel that should turn of itself; here is a way to make such a one, by means of an uneven number of mallets, or by quicksilver (mercury). Mark Anthony Zimara (1460?

Visual Cryptography What is Visual Cryptography Visual Cryptography is a special encryption technique to hide information in images in such a way that it can be decrypted by the human vision if the correct key image is used. The technique was proposed by Naor and Shamir in 1994. When the random image contains truely random pixels it can be seen as a one-time pad system and will offer unbreakable encryption. How Visual Cryptography works Each pixel of the images is divided into smaller blocks. In the table on the right we can see that a pixel, divided into four parts, can have six different states.If a pixel on layer 1 has a given state, the pixel on layer 2 may have one of two states: identical or inverted to the pixel of layer 1. We can now create the two layers. The system of pixel can be applied in different ways. If the pixel states of layer 1 are truly (crypto secure) random, both empty and information pixels of layer 2 will also have completely random states. Additional information

learn morse code university lectures computer science Whether your goal is to earn a promotion, graduate at the top of your class, or just accelerate your life, lectures can help get you there. Our archives of lectures cover a huge range of topics and have all been handpicked and carefully designed by experienced instructors throughout the world who are dedicated to helping you take the next step toward meeting your career goals. Lifelong learns can turn their free time turn into self-improvement time. The online lectures on this list are more than lecture notes or a slideshow on a topic -- they were designed for audiences like you, with carefully sequenced themes and topics taught by veteran educators, and often with additional resources for your own independent study. Lecture courses are a valid and vital learning tool, and may be one of the best methods of learning available.

30 Windows 7 Hotkeys: Ultimate Guide Apart from so many new features in Windows 7, Microsoft has also added new hotkeys to give individuals better control over their operating system. We have covered 30 hotkeys for Windows 7 which we believe everyone should know about. Master them all to increase your daily productivity. Windows + Up Arrow It is used to maximize the current window which is in focus, whether it is a windows explorer, a web browser, or any other application. Windows + Left Arrow Adjusts the current window to the left side and hence the window will cover almost half of the desktop space. Windows + Right Arrow It will adjust the current window to the right and thus it will cover half of the desktop space on the right. Windows + Down Arrow Minimizes the windows to the Task bar. Windows + Space All windows become transparent so you are able to see your desktop. Windows + T Shows the thumbnail preview of the running applications. Windows + P Windows + (+ / -) (Add/Minus) Shift + Click a Taskbar item Windows + F Windows + X

A new formula for avoiding supermarket queues Supermarket queues are dreaded by many. In the TV series ‘Supernatural’, people standing in an endless queue are used as an example of what hell really looks like. (Photo: Colourbox) In researcher Kebin Zeng’s office hangs a big whiteboard filled with mathematical formulas and functions. ”You could say that I convert everyday life into mathematical models. His research, which is supported by MT-LAB, aims to improve on the existing mathematical models that calculate the probability of queues in places such as supermarkets or post offices. “It will for instance be possible to use our models to create an iPhone app that tells you the ideal time to go shopping if you want to avoid long queues,” he says. For an example of how to calculate supermarket queues, see the box below this article. Sorting out phone queues Zeng is far from being the first mathematician to create models for waiting times in queues. Kebin Zeng A handy scheduling tool It’s all about probability Software free for all

10 Certifications to Improve Your IT Career IT is constantly changing as new technologies are implemented. Certifications are one way IT professionals can keep up with current trends in IT technology, build their IT resume and open new doors of opportunity. Which certifications are right for you depends on your career path. A certification in your current line of work will certify your skills and increase your value in your present position. If you are looking to move into other areas of IT a certification can give you the skills and knowledge you need to make the jump. Certifications should be looked at for what they can do for you now and in the future. 10 Career Building Certifications Below in no particular order are 10 certifications that can certify and improve your present skills and add valuable stops on your IT career path. ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management ITIL v3 is a best practice framework for IT Service Management that is being adopted by IT departments around the world. CompTIA Security+

Runic alphabets / Runes / Futhark Little is known about the origins of the Runic alphabet, which is traditionally known as futhark after the first six letters. In Old Norse the word rune means 'letter', 'text' or 'inscription'. The word also means 'mystery' or 'secret' in Old Germanic languages and runes had a important role in ritual and magic. Here are some theories about the origins of runes: The alphabet was probably created independently rather than evolving from another alphabet. The earliest known Runic inscriptions date from the 1st century AD, but the vast majority of Runic inscriptions date from the 11th century. Notable features The direction of writing in early Runic inscriptions is variable. Types of runic inscriptions include: 'Hrolf was here' type inscriptions on cliff walls, large rocks and buildings grave stone inscriptions, often with who carved the runes and who was buried, and also who made sure the stone was raised. There are a number of different Runic alphabets including: Elder Futhark Notes Links

Personal and Historical Perspectives of Hans Bethe The SPF Setup Wizard Form based record testers E-mail based record testers We provide an e-mail based record tester. Send an e-mail to spf-test@openspf.net. Form based TXT record viewer For implementors Test Suite - not a tool like others on this page, but maybe what you are looking for. The retired SPF record wizard For a long time we had a wizard utility (at to assist domain owners with creating SPF records for their domains. For this reason the wizard has been taken down. An App That Encrypts, Shreds, Hashes and Salts The Wickr app. When it comes to mobile apps and social networks, the devil, increasingly, is in the default settings. Companies have little, if any, incentive to let users opt out of services that siphon their personal data back to the advertisers who pay their bills. Nor do companies have any legal mandate to secure users’ personal information with hacker-proof encryption. The responsibility is very much on the user to opt out of services and read through the fine print in privacy policies to understand how their personal data is used, secured and sold. A group of computer security experts want to turn that model on its head with Wickr, a new mobile app that they hope will set a new standard for how personal data is disseminated. Wickr’s motto: The Internet is forever. Text messages, photos and videos sent via Wickr are secured using military-grade encryption and never stored. The co-founders snubbed advertising in favor of a “freemium” business model. Ms. Wickr is not without loopholes.

22 Windows 7 Freeware That You Should Know About Microsoft’s Windows 7 brought with it a revolution in the way the Windows operating environment worked, behaved, looked and felt. Though loaded with a host of useful features, many third-party apps out there can actually make life much easier for any average Joe. Hence, we present a collection of 22 freeware for Windows 7. Hang on tight and enjoy the ride. 1. A not-so-publicized feature, Google quick search box for Windows adds a Google button next to the Windows orb in your taskbar, and allows you to perform a variety of Google searches right from your desktop. Google Quick Search Box 2. Win Integrator allows you to install Windows 7 the way you want, providing complete freedom choose what to install and what not, and remove features and programs, add drivers or updates as per your liking, all prior to installation. Win Integrator 3. Auto Logon & Lock 4. Psycho Folder 5. Universal Viewer 6. How To Resize Thumbnails 7. AutoPatcher Updater 8. Maxifier 9. MonitorES 10. 11. Zum 12. CBX Shell 13. 14.

Runic alphabet Runology is the study of the runic alphabets, runic inscriptions, runestones, and their history. Runology forms a specialised branch of Germanic linguistics. The earliest runic inscriptions date from around AD 150. The three best-known runic alphabets are the Elder Futhark (around AD 150–800), the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc (AD 400–1100), and the Younger Futhark (AD 800–1100). Historically, the runic alphabet is a derivation of the Old Italic alphabets of antiquity, with the addition of some innovations. The process of transmission of the script is unknown. History and use[edit] The runes were in use among the Germanic peoples from the 1st or 2nd century AD. No distinction is made in surviving runic inscriptions between long and short vowels, although such a distinction was certainly present phonologically in the spoken languages of the time. The name runes contrasts with Latin or Greek letters. Origins[edit] The "West Germanic hypothesis" speculates on an introduction by West Germanic tribes.

Related: