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TLS-AES-128-CCM-8-SHA256 Cipher Suite
A breakdown of the Cipher Suite TLS_AES_128_CCM_8_SHA256, its strengths, and its weaknesses.
Cipher
Advanced Encryption Standard - AES
Grade - A
AES should be used in cipher suites because it offers strong security with efficient performance, large block size (128 bits), and resistance to known attacks. Its widespread adoption and thorough analysis by the cryptographic community ensure reliability and robustness for encrypting sensitive data.
Hash
Secure Hash Algorithm 256 Bit - SHA256
Grade - A
Improving greatly from SHA1, SHA-256 and above create secure hashes through robust cryptographic algorithms that ensure collision resistance and preimage resistance. They process input data in fixed-size blocks, applying complex mathematical transformations that make it computationally impractical to reverse-engineer the original data from its hash.
Key Size
128 Bit - 128
Grade - A
128-bit symmetric encryption keys are considered secure because they provide an astronomically large number of possible combinations (2^128), making brute-force attacks computationally infeasible with current technology. This level of security is sufficient for most practical purposes and is widely adopted in various encryption protocols.
Cipher Mode
Counter with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code - CCM
Grade - A
CCM (Counter with CBC-MAC) is a mode of operation for cryptographic block ciphers, providing both encryption and authentication. Used in cipher suites, CCM ensures data confidentiality and integrity by combining the Counter (CTR) mode for encryption with the Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code (CBC-MAC) for authentication. This dual functionality makes CCM highly efficient and secure, suitable for resource-constrained environments like IoT and wireless networks. By integrating CCM, cipher suites offer robust protection against unauthorized access and tampering, enhancing overall security in secure communications.
