How Secure is a Text Encryption Program Created with Visual Basic?

In summary, the conversation discusses a text encryption program created using Visual Basic that uses a random number and appends it to the beginning of the message. The speaker is curious about the security of this encryption and asks for feedback on its strength. They also challenge anyone to decipher a coded message using this encryption. The general consensus is that this type of encryption is not considered secure and can be easily cracked by those skilled in cryptanalysis. It is compared to "security through obscurity" and is not considered a reliable method for secure encryption.
  • #1
niko421
1
0
I taught myself to program a bit in Visual Basic. A while ago I made a text encryption program using my own methods and I was wondering how secure it would be.

It uses a random number between 10-99 in the encryption process. The number is appended to the beginning of the message.

For example:

'A' can encrypt to: '33k' '34k' '83p' '11i' etc..
'B' can encrypt to: '44m' '97r' '59n' '70p' etc..
'AAA' can encrypt to: '86j6V' '81j@V' '58g2M' etc..
'Hello' can encrypt to: '60id{kŠ' '48gTuK€' '19dRlGq'

How secure would encryption like this be? Every one of the examples decrypt properly to the original message using the program.

I'm just curious, any feedback from anyone who knows about this kind of thing would be awesome. Also, if its easy to crack, try to decipher the following coded message:

'69]ý†¨;³Gʘ§«*ÄBÅuÈb`êùí1¿Ëóó8ÒB{I®\Ÿc‰ ‚r!}]‡O©;°"·‚´´êÍÞãѤ²ÿ¬¼‰‰,i3[;G;^Ûbb}î„áB{¸¤¬y]‚'
 
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  • #2
Realistically... very unlikely to be secure at all. I couldn't crack it but there are various methods by which someone actually skilled in cryptanalysis just about certainly could, assuming that they had any meaningful amount of encrypted text to use as examples.

Crypto these days is considered to be secure basically only if even if you know exactly how the encryption method works, you can't recover the original message without either possessing a secret decryption key or solving an "intractable" computational problem. Your thing sounds like it's closer to an example of "security through obscurity", something which is secure only because nobody knows the secret method you used in your VB program. But there's a lot of research into ways of uncovering such methods by looking at ciphertext only...
 
  • #3


I am impressed by your curiosity and self-taught programming skills. However, I must caution that creating a secure encryption program requires a deep understanding of encryption algorithms and techniques, as well as rigorous testing and analysis.

From a brief examination of your program, it seems that you are using a simple substitution cipher with a random number as the key. While this may seem secure at first glance, it is actually vulnerable to various attacks, such as frequency analysis or brute force attacks.

In order to truly evaluate the security of your program, it would be necessary to analyze it in more detail and consider potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, it is important to note that the security of an encryption program also depends on the strength and randomness of the key used.

As for your request to decipher the coded message, I am unable to do so without access to your program and the key used. However, I would suggest seeking out experts in encryption and cryptography for a more thorough evaluation of your program's security.
 

1. What is a text encryption program?

A text encryption program is a software or tool that is used to encode or scramble text in order to protect its contents from being read by unauthorized individuals. It uses various algorithms and techniques to convert plain text into a coded version that can only be deciphered with a specific key or password.

2. How does a text encryption program work?

A text encryption program works by taking a plain text input and converting it into a coded version using a mathematical algorithm. The algorithm uses a key or password to scramble the text and make it unreadable. The same key or password is required to decrypt the text back into its original form.

3. What are the benefits of using a text encryption program?

Text encryption programs offer several benefits, including protecting sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized individuals, ensuring data confidentiality, and preventing data breaches. They also help to secure communication channels and prevent data theft.

4. Are there different types of text encryption programs?

Yes, there are different types of text encryption programs available, such as symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption, and hashing. Each type uses a different approach and algorithm to encrypt and decrypt text, and they have different levels of security and complexity.

5. Can a text encryption program be cracked?

While it is possible for a text encryption program to be cracked, the level of difficulty depends on the strength of the encryption algorithm and the length and complexity of the key or password. Strong encryption algorithms with longer keys are more difficult to crack, making it more secure. However, it is always important to use strong and unique passwords to increase the security of a text encryption program.

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