{"id":230,"date":"2023-09-15T15:56:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T21:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/?p=230"},"modified":"2023-09-15T15:58:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T21:58:57","slug":"future-of-account-sign-in-and-website-identification-using-cryptography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/2023\/09\/15\/future-of-account-sign-in-and-website-identification-using-cryptography\/","title":{"rendered":"Future of Account Sign-in and Website Identification Using Cryptography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Filipp Gorodkov<strong>|<\/strong>Valentine Adjei<strong>|<\/strong>Enyu Ma<strong>|<\/strong>Ishak Lutalo Nkonge<strong>|<\/strong>Kelvin Onome Otuagoma<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The usage of usernames and passwords for authentication has become a critical vulnerability within the cybersecurity landscape. Despite substantial efforts by different organizations and cybersecurity experts to improve the security of usernames and passwords for authentication, data breaches keep happening. In addition to this, the mental cost of trying to think up and remember multiple complex passwords, each with its own special rules and criteria. Unfortunately, most users deal with this by just reusing the same old simple passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"469\" height=\"547\" data-src=\"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2023\/09\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-231 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2023\/09\/image-3.png 469w, https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/119\/2023\/09\/image-3-257x300.png 257w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 469px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 469\/547;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In today&#8217;s digital age, the need for robust online security is more crucial than ever. As cyber threats evolve, so must our methods of protecting our digital identities. One solution that has been gaining traction in recent years is Secure Quick Reliable Login (SQRL). In this blog, we will explore what SQRL is, how it works, and why it could be a game-changer for online security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SQRL is a proposed system that would replace the use of usernames and passwords for authentication with public key cryptography. The basic premise is the user would generate a private-public key pair specifically for that server and store the public key on the server. The server uses that public key to link account details, as well as encrypts the data with that public key so that only the holder of the private key would be able to decrypt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The breakdown:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/zzm-2dW_wJ4XM92DpVBV9zHR4GYbdUCskke_VKl_ViuQau6YHVusTwWFAl_Vsm6-j1I_9A-oAF70WGuToTH347FkBgclYeES6-1qMPLpvQcQiW5N5u-4N1CXOIAfOlixLeidjrjrFEmTfcIm0EOv8x8\" width=\"424\" height=\"149\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 424px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 424\/149;\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unique Key Pair Generation<\/strong>: Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, SQRL employs the user&#8217;s master key and the website&#8217;s domain name to produce a distinct public\/private key pair exclusively for that website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nonce-Embedded Authentication<\/strong>: When a user attempts to log in, websites present an SQRL authentication URL embedded with a unique nonce (a random number that can only be used once).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Client Response<\/strong>: On the user&#8217;s side, the SQRL client \u2013 be it an app or desktop software crafts a signed query that bundles together the user-specific public key for the domain and the nonce.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Website Verification<\/strong>: It uses the provided public key to validate the signed data and then confirms the user&#8217;s authenticity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cryptographic Backbone<\/strong>: A significant facet of SQRL&#8217;s appeal is its solid foundation in cryptographic principles. The use of nonces ensures a defense against replay attacks, where unauthorized users attempt to re-submit a previously successful login session.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let us delve into why the proposed SQRL technology is a game-changer. It offers the field of cybersecurity several noteworthy benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The system itself prevents reuse of the same password across different domains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Breaches no longer pose the critical level of threat as they do today since only public keys are stored on the server instead of passwords.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Users no longer need to deal with generating different passwords for each web service and a breach of one server has no chance of leaking details for others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SQRL represents a significant step forward in online security &#8211; its innovative approach to authentication could potentially eliminate many of the security risks associated with traditional login methods. While there are challenges to overcome, the future of online security may be in the hands of innovative solutions like SQRL. As users become more conscious of their digital safety, systems like this could become a common sight on the login screens of websites and services across the internet. So, keep an eye out for SQRL, as it might just be the key to a safer online experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-normal-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gibson Research Corporation (2019, December). SQRL Explained. Retrieved September 4th,2023 from https:\/\/www.grc.com\/sqrl\/SQRL_Explained.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Too Many Passwords image from Kudzu World, 2023. Retrieved September 4th, 2023, from https:\/\/www.kudzuworld.com\/2018\/09\/20\/too-many-passwords\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Secret Security Wiki. Secure, Quick, Reliable Login. Retrieved September 5, 2023, from https:\/\/doubleoctopus.com\/security-wiki\/protocol\/secure-quick-reliable-login\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Filipp Gorodkov|Valentine Adjei|Enyu Ma|Ishak Lutalo Nkonge|Kelvin Onome Otuagoma The usage of usernames and passwords for authentication has become a critical vulnerability within the cybersecurity landscape. Despite substantial efforts by different organizations and cybersecurity experts to improve the security of usernames and passwords for authentication, data breaches keep happening. In addition to this, the mental cost &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/2023\/09\/15\/future-of-account-sign-in-and-website-identification-using-cryptography\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Future of Account Sign-in and Website Identification Using Cryptography&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":624,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Valentine","author_link":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/author\/valentine-adjei\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/624"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235,"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpsites.ucalgary.ca\/jacobson-cpsc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}