TLS-ECDHE-PSK-WITH-NULL-SHA256 Cipher Suite

Key Exchange Mechanism

Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman Ephemeral - ECDHE

Grade - A

ECDHE (Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral) is used because it enhances security through the use of ephemeral keys, which are temporary and unique for each session. This ensures that even if one session’s key is compromised, past and future sessions remain secure. ECDHE provides perfect forward secrecy, meaning that the compromise of long-term keys does not affect the confidentiality of past communications. The ephemeral nature of the keys significantly reduces the risk of long-term data breaches and enhances the overall robustness of the cryptographic protocol.

Authentication

Pre-Shared Key - PSK

Grade - A

PSK (Pre-Shared Key) cipher suites are used for authentication in secure communication protocols like TLS. They allow parties to establish a shared secret beforehand, ensuring confidentiality and integrity of data exchanges without the overhead of public key infrastructure (PKI), suitable for constrained environments or specific security requirements.

Cipher

Null Cipher - NULL

Grade - F

Null encryption ciphers are bad because they provide no encryption, leaving data transmitted over the network completely unprotected. This means that any information sent, such as passwords, personal details, or confidential messages, can be easily intercepted and read by anyone with access to the network traffic. Without encryption, the confidentiality and integrity of the data are compromised, making it highly vulnerable to eavesdropping, tampering, and unauthorized access. In essence, using Null encryption defeats the primary purpose of secure communication protocols, which is to safeguard data from potential threats.

Hash

Null Hash - NULL

Grade - F

Null hashes are bad in cipher suites because they provide no integrity protection, making the communication vulnerable to undetected tampering or data corruption. This compromises the security by allowing potential attackers to alter messages without detection, undermining the confidentiality and trustworthiness of the communication.Null hashes are bad because they provide no integrity checks, leaving data transmitted over the network completely unprotected. This means that any information sent, such as passwords, personal details, or confidential messages, can be easily intercepted and read by anyone with access to the network traffic. Without encryption, the confidentiality and integrity of the data are compromised, making it highly vulnerable to eavesdropping, tampering, and unauthorized access. In essence, using Null encryption defeats the primary purpose of secure communication protocols, which is to safeguard data from potential threats.