Dragan on Security

CrypTool is demonstration and reference program for cryptography by Bernhard Esslinger. It is a freeware program which enables user to apply and analyze cryptographic mechanisms. It has the typical look-and-feel of a modern Windows application. CrypTool has implemented almost all state-of-the-art crypto functions and allows you to learn about and use, cryptography within the same environment.

The methods available include both classic methods and modern cryptosystems:

• classic methods: e.g. the Caesar cipher and the double-column transposition (permutation) encryption algorithm.
• modern methods: e.g. the RSA and AES algorithms, hybrid encryption and algorithms based on elliptic curves.

The source code of the CrypTool product is distributed under the terms of GPL (GNU General Public License).

I can recommend this tool for purposes of education and trainings for novices, but also for others that are already familiar with cryptography.

Visit CrypTool web site here.

In yesterdays post, UK RFID passport crack was hot topic. Just to remind here about Dutch biometric passport crack from January:

Dutch TV programme Nieuwslicht (Newslight) is claiming that the security of the Dutch biometric passport has already been cracked. As the programme reports here, the passport was read remotely and then the security cracked using flaws built into the system, whereupon all of the biometric data could be read.

The crack is attributed to Delft smartcard security specialist Riscure, which here explains that an attack can be executed from around 10 metres and the security broken, revealing date of birth, facial image and fingerprint, in around two hours. Riscure notes that that the speed of the crack is aided by the Dutch passport numbering scheme being sequential.

Read full article here.