Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange

INTRODUCTION
O It is a method of securely exchanging
cryptographic keys over a public channel and
was one of the first public-key protocols.
O It is one of the earliest practical examples of
public key exchange implemented within the
field of cryptography.
O It allows two parties that have no
prior knowledge of each other to
jointly establish a shared secret
key over an insecure channel.
O It is often used in TLS (Transport
Layer Security) implementations
for protecting secure web pages.
ORIGIN
O It was originally conceptualized by Ralph
Merkle and named after Whitfield Diffie
and Martin Hellman in 1976.
O Hellman suggested the algorithm be
called Diffie–Hellman–Merkle key
exchange in recognition of Ralph
Merkle's contribution to the invention of
public-key cryptography.
O While the system was first described in a
paper by Diffie and Hellman, it is a public key
distribution system, a concept developed by
Merkle, and hence should be called 'Diffie–
Hellman–Merkle key exchange' if names are
to be associated with it.
O It relies firstly on a simple mathematical fact:
𝑦 𝑧 𝑧 𝑦
(𝑥 ) = (𝑥 )
ADVANTAGES
O The sender and receiver may
have no prior knowledge of each
other.
O Communication can take place
through an insecure channel.
O Sharing of secret key is safe.
DISADVANTAGES
O Cannot be used for signing digital
signatures.
O The nature of Diffie Hellman Key
Exchange does make it
susceptible to man-in-the-middle
attacks since it doesn’t
authenticate either party involved
in the exchange.
DEMO