programming encryption

StarPuppy SG

my Internet/Network Security FYP is about creating "a login website"(hotmail) of which if a hacker manage to sniff the password..it would be jumbled up

now the thing is i am given a range of programming platform to learn/use as my teacher allow us to use anything we want

(e.g: VB, ASP, Java, C++)

so what would be easy to understand for the programming noob like me?

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Hotmail is already encrypted.

StarPuppy SG

its just creating a website...for show and tell

ndmmxiaomayi SG

As far as I know, I don't know how to use VB, C++, C to create web applications.

ASP and Java is possible...

DarthBart SG

Try using a hashing algo to digest the password
I've used SHA1 in JSP back in my poly days to do that

thoreldan SG

TS:

are you told to invent a simple algorithm yourself?
or
make use of available encryption algorithm?

StarPuppy SG

both are allowed but i would like to try my hand of making one myself

Very Happy

hisoka SG

how will the hacker sniff out the password? hack into the company database? keyloggers on the user computer? tracking of the packets sent/received?

ndmmxiaomayi SG

I wouldn't say to invent, particularly if one has totally what security is about, what encryption is about, what's PKI, what's hashing, what's this and what's that.

Make use of existing algorithms.

If you really want to create a whole new algorithm, go Counterpane and read up.

StarPuppy SG

it is assumed that the data is being sniffed

so a encyrpted algorithim is needed

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Tracking of packets...

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Sure?

ndmmxiaomayi SG

You need this

l0st-s0ul SG

There are various layers of encryption u could apply.

At network layer - IP Security
At transport layer - SSL
At application layer - S/MIME

Since ur main concern is confidentiality, all of the protocols above provides a form of encryption. U could also add authentication as an additional form of security.

As for the platform used, I would say to use what u are most comfortable with.

o0Nite0o SG

lol.. use PHP.. md5(String) can liao