How to Implement End to End Encryption in OMNeT++
To implement the end-to-end encryption in OMNeT++ has encompasses mimicking a communication situation where the data is encrypted at the sender’s side and decrypted at the receiver’s side, make sure that in-between nodes cannot read the data. This way is normally used in secure communications like transfer, secure file transfer, messaging apps, and secure communication protocols. Below is a step-by-step guide to implementing end-to-end encryption in OMNeT++ with instances:
Step-by-Step Implementations:
Step 1: Set Up the OMNeT++ Environment
Make sure that OMNeT++ and crucial libraries, like INET, are installed and configured properly. INET offers networking protocols and models, which can be expanded to contain encryption functionality.
Step 2: Define the Encryption and Decryption Logic
Execute basic encryption and decryption logic in a module. For simplicity, we will use a basic XOR cipher as an instance. In a real-world situation, we could use more sophisticated encryption algorithms such as AES, RSA, etc.
Example Encryption/Decryption Module
class EncryptionModule : public cSimpleModule
{
protected:
virtual void initialize() override;
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override;
std::string encrypt(const std::string &data, char key);
std::string decrypt(const std::string &data, char key);
private:
char encryptionKey;
};
void EncryptionModule::initialize()
{
encryptionKey = par(“encryptionKey”).stringValue()[0]; // Single character key
}
void EncryptionModule::handleMessage(cMessage *msg)
{
if (strcmp(msg->getKind(), “encrypt”) == 0)
{
std::string payload = msg->par(“payload”).stringValue();
std::string encryptedPayload = encrypt(payload, encryptionKey);
msg->addPar(“payload”) = encryptedPayload.c_str();
send(msg, “out”);
}
else if (strcmp(msg->getKind(), “decrypt”) == 0)
{
std::string payload = msg->par(“payload”).stringValue();
std::string decryptedPayload = decrypt(payload, encryptionKey);
msg->addPar(“payload”) = decryptedPayload.c_str();
send(msg, “out”);
}
}
std::string EncryptionModule::encrypt(const std::string &data, char key)
{
std::string result = data;
for (size_t i = 0; i < data.size(); i++)
result[i] = data[i] ^ key; // XOR encryption
return result;
}
std::string EncryptionModule::decrypt(const std::string &data, char key)
{
return encrypt(data, key); // XOR decryption (same as encryption)
}
Step 3: Define the Network Nodes with Encryption and Decryption
Generate nodes that denotes the sender and receiver in the network. The sender will encrypt the data before transferring it, and the receiver will decrypt it upon receipt.
Example Sender and Receiver Node Definition
module EncryptedNode
{
parameters:
@display(“i=block/wifilaptop”); // Icon for visualization
gates:
inout ethg; // Ethernet communication gate
submodules:
eth: <default(“EthernetInterface”)>; // Ethernet NIC for communication
encryptor: EncryptionModule; // Module for encryption/decryption
connections:
ethg <–> eth.physIn;
encryptor.out –> ethg;
}
Step 4: Define the Network Scenario with End-to-End Encryption
Make a network setup where the sender node encrypts the data before transmission, and the receiver node decrypts it upon receipt.
Example Network Scenario Definition
network EndToEndEncryptionNetwork
{
parameters:
int numNodes = default(2); // Number of nodes in the network
submodules:
sender: EncryptedNode {
@display(“p=100,100”);
}
receiver: EncryptedNode {
@display(“p=400,100”);
}
connections allowunconnected:
sender.ethg <–> EthernetCable <–> receiver.ethg;
}
Step 5: Implement the Application Layer Logic
Execute the logic in the sender node to encrypt the data before transferring it and in the receiver node to decrypt it after getting it.
Example Sender and Receiver Logic
class SenderApp : public cSimpleModule
{
protected:
virtual void initialize() override;
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override;
private:
cMessage *sendTimer;
};
void SenderApp::initialize()
{
sendTimer = new cMessage(“sendTimer”);
scheduleAt(simTime() + par(“sendInterval”), sendTimer);
}
void SenderApp::handleMessage(cMessage *msg)
{
if (msg == sendTimer)
{
cMessage *packet = new cMessage(“DataPacket”);
packet->addPar(“payload”) = “Hello, this is a secret message.”;
packet->setKind(“encrypt”);
send(packet, “out”);
scheduleAt(simTime() + par(“sendInterval”), sendTimer);
}
else
{
delete msg;
}
}
class ReceiverApp : public cSimpleModule
{
protected:
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override;
private:
void processMessage(cMessage *msg);
};
void ReceiverApp::handleMessage(cMessage *msg)
{
if (strcmp(msg->getKind(), “decrypt”) == 0)
{
processMessage(msg);
delete msg;
}
}
void ReceiverApp::processMessage(cMessage *msg)
{
EV << “Decrypted message received: ” << msg->par(“payload”).stringValue() << endl;
}
Step 6: Configure the Simulation Parameters
Configure the simulation parameters in the .ini file, containing the encryption key and other node-specific settings.
Example Configuration in the .ini File
[General]
network = EndToEndEncryptionNetwork
sim-time-limit = 300s
# Encryption configuration
*.sender.encryptor.encryptionKey = “K” # Single-character XOR key
*.receiver.encryptor.encryptionKey = “K”
# Traffic generation
*.sender.app.sendInterval = 1s # Interval between sending messages
Step 7: Run the Simulation
Compile and run the simulation. The receiver node will decrypt it upon receipt and the sender node will encrypt the data using the encryption key.
Step 8: Analyse the Results
Use OMNeT++’s analysis tools to assess the performance of the end-to-end encryption setup. Verify the following:
- Correctness of Decryption: Make sure that the decrypted messages at the receiver match the original messages sent by the sender.
- Security of Data: Check that intermediate nodes cannot read the encrypted data.
- Performance Impact: Examine the impact of encryption and decryption on network performance, like latency and throughput.
Step 9: Extend the Simulation (Optional)
We can extend the simulation by:
- Implementing Stronger Encryption: Substitute the XOR cipher with a more protected algorithm, such as AES or RSA.
- Handling Asymmetric Keys: Execute public-key encryption where the sender encrypts data with the receiver’s public key, and the receiver decrypts it with their private key.
- Simulating Attacks: Check the robustness of the encryption scheme by mimicking attacks such as brute force, or replay attacks, man-in-the-middle.
- Adding Multiple Hops: Launch intermediate nodes to mimic routing and observe how encryption affects the data as it traverses the network.
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