1. What are plain text and cipher text?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Plain text is the original, readable message or data that is understandable to humans or
machines. It has not been encrypted or modified in any way.

Cipher text is the encrypted version of the plain text. It is unreadable and appears as random
data unless decrypted using a proper key.

Example:

Plain text: "HELLO"

Cipher text (using Caesar Cipher): "KHOOR"

Conclusion:

The purpose of converting plain text to cipher text is to protect data from unauthorized
access. Only someone with the correct decryption key can retrieve the original message.

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2. What is the main purpose of cryptography?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Cryptography is the science of securing information by converting it into an unreadable format
to prevent unauthorized access.

Main purposes:

1. Confidentiality: Ensures that only authorized users can read the data.

2. Integrity: Ensures the message is not altered during transmission.

3. Authentication: Verifies the sender’s identity.

4. Non-repudiation: Prevents the sender from denying the message sent.

Conclusion:

Cryptography protects sensitive information in communication, banking, government, and many

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3. What are the different types of cryptographic techniques?

1. Symmetric Key Cryptography:

Same key is used for both encryption and decryption.

Example: AES, DES

2. Asymmetric Key Cryptography:

Uses a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.

Example: RSA

3. Hash Functions:

Converts data into a fixed-length hash value. It is irreversible and mainly used for integrity
checks.

Example: SHA-256, MD5

4. Steganography (Hidden writing):

Hides the existence of the message, often by embedding it within images or audio files.
Conclusion:

Each technique has different use cases and security strengths depending on the requirement of
the system.

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4. How does Caesar's Cipher work?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Caesar Cipher is a simple substitution cipher that replaces each letter in the plain text by
shifting it a fixed number of positions in the alphabet.

Working:

Choose a shift value (e.g., 3).

Replace each letter with the one three positions ahead in the alphabet.

A → D, B → E, C → F, ..., X → A

Example:

Plain text: "HELLO"

Limitations:

Easy to break using brute force (only 25 possible shifts).

Does not hide word patterns or frequency.

Conclusion:

Though simple, Caesar Cipher is a foundation for understanding classical encryption techniques.

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5. What is the difference between substitution and transposition techniques?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Both are classical encryption techniques but differ in how they manipulate plain text.

Substitution Technique:

Each character or group of characters in the plain text is replaced with a different character
or symbol.
The order of characters remains the same.

Example: Caesar Cipher, Monoalphabetic Cipher.

Transposition Technique:

Characters remain the same, but their positions are shuffled according to a key.

No change in characters, only the arrangement.

Example: Columnar Transposition, Rail Fence Cipher.

Conclusion:

Substitution changes the identity of characters, while transposition changes their position,
both aiming to conceal the original message.

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6. How does Columnar Transposition work?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Columnar Transposition is a transposition cipher where the plain text is written in rows, and
the columns are rearranged based on a secret key.

Steps:

1. Choose a key (e.g., “4312”) which defines column order.

2. Write the plain text row-wise in a matrix under the key.

3. Read the columns based on the numeric order of the key.

Example: Plain Text: "HELLOWORLD"

Key: 4312

Matrix:

4312

HELL

OWOR

LD

Read columns in key order (1→L, 2→L, 3→E, 4→H) to get the cipher text.
Conclusion:

Columnar transposition hides the original message by altering the order of characters while
preserving the actual letters.

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7. How do digital signatures ensure data integrity and authentication?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
A digital signature is a cryptographic technique used to validate the authenticity and integrity
of a message or document.

How it works:

1. The sender generates a hash of the message.

2. This hash is encrypted using the sender’s private key.

3. The encrypted hash becomes the digital signature and is sent with the message.
At the receiver’s end:

The receiver decrypts the signature using the sender’s public key.

A new hash is generated from the received message.

If both hashes match, the message is authentic and unaltered.

Conclusion:

Digital signatures prove the sender’s identity and ensure the message was not tampered with
during transmission.

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8. What are some common techniques used in steganography?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Steganography hides the existence of the message rather than encrypting it. Common
techniques include:

1. Least Significant Bit (LSB):

The message is embedded into the least significant bits of image or audio files.
2. Text Steganography:

Hides data within text using whitespace, altered font styles, or hidden characters.

3. Image Steganography:

Embeds information in image pixels that are indistinguishable to the human eye.

4. Audio/Video Steganography:

Conceals information in sound or video files using techniques like echo hiding or phase coding.

Conclusion:

Steganography ensures covert communication and is often used with cryptography for
enhanced security.

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9. What is symmetric cryptography?

✅ 4 Marks Answer:
Symmetric cryptography, also known as secret-key cryptography, uses the same key for both
encryption and decryption.

Features:

Faster and more efficient than asymmetric encryption.

Both sender and receiver must securely share the key before communication.

Common algorithms: DES, AES, Blowfish

Example:

Plain text → [Encryption using key] → Cipher text

Cipher text → [Decryption using same key] → Plain text

Challenges:

Key distribution and management become difficult in large systems.

If the key is exposed, the entire system is compromised.

Symmetric encryption is widely used for secure communication when speed is critical, and key
exchange is secure.