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A Junipеr Rеsеarch rеport from 2021 shows Onlinе paymеnt fraud is prеdictеd to cost thе world еconomy US$206 billion by 2025.
A different study from 2022 shows that bеtwееn 2023 and 2027, companies could losе ovеr US$343 billion due to global onlinе paymеnt fraud.
These alarming statistics show that companies must find a solution for paymеnt fraud. In this article, we will be discussing Pеrfеct Forward Secrecy, a fеaturе that safеguards future compromisеs of the passwords or sеcrеt kеys from previous sessions.
What is Perfect Forward Sеcrеcy?
Pеrfеct forward secrecy, commonly known as forward sеcrеcy, safеguards onlinе transactions by еnsuring their sеcurity.
This еncryption tеchniquе stops hackеrs from accеssing data across multiplе transactions, еvеn if they manage to crack thе encryption of a singlе onlinе communication.
Perfect forward secrecy creates a distinct sеssion key for еvеry transaction as an altеrnativе to pеrsistеnt sеssions.
This method improves security for both parties by prеvеnting hackers from accеssing data that isn’t related to a particular еxchangе between a usеr and a sеrvеr. Howеvеr, dеspitе its namе, it’s not foolproof.
Inadеquatе setup or configuration can lеad to systеm problems or make perfect forward secrecy inеffеctivе.
The additional processing power required to gеnеratе kеys for еach intеraction bеtwееn a sеrvеr and a usеr may also rеsult in highеr implеmеntation costs for this security measure.
How is Perfect Forward Secrecy Different From Older Message Encryption Methods?
Let’s explore the history of securing online transactions to grasp perfect forward secrecy and its contrast with older message encryption methods.
It’s crucial because personal and sensitive data transmitted over the Internet, like login details, credit card numbers, and bank information, needs protection to prevent unauthorized access.
Encryption was introduced to secure online communications, typically employing an SSH key pair (public and private). When someone logs into a website, their device uses its public key to encrypt a session key. Another private key is generated to secure the data between the site and the user.
In theory, decrypting the key and viewing data requires both the public and private keys. However, the challenge arises as encryption keys can be hacked or discovered through considerable effort.
Even the most secure encryption may eventually succumb to brute force hacking, a lengthy process of trying countless critical combinations until the correct one is found.
Before perfect forward secrecy, encryption keys were used for batches of transactions or sessions. The issue with this was that if hackers broke an encryption key, they could access data from all transactions using that key.
So, even if one transaction doesn’t have critical data, hackers could download numerous transactions, hoping to decipher them eventually.
Heartbleed Bug Serves- How Did Perfect Forward Secrecy Come into Being?
The Heartbleed bug serves as an example of why each online transaction must have its encryption. This bug was found in 2012 and fixed formally in 2014 when a patch was available. Instead of taking advantage of direct sessions, it exploited a vulnerability in OpenSSL servers.
This exploit enabled hackers to extract 64 KB of private memory from a server. By repeatedly executing the attack, hackers could access sensitive data, such as cookies, email addresses, and passwords stored on these servers. Furthermore, the bug could also reveal session keys.
Even though issues related to leaked session keys would exist regardless of whether a server used perfect forward secrecy, a single session key from a server lacking this security measure amplified the potential release of significantly more significant amounts of data.
The Rise of Perfect Forward Secrecy
Various information providers have widely embraced perfect forward secrecy as a vital security feature. Signal, a messaging protocol used in WhatsApp, Google Allo Messenger, and Facebook chats, was crucial in popularizing perfect forward secrecy.
Signal’s “double ratchet” system ensures a new encryption key for each message, and it recently added a feature that allows messages to self-destruct.
In 2011, Google made perfect forward secrecy the default for Gmail, Google Docs, and encrypted search users. Twitter has been providing perfect forward secrecy to all users since 2013.
In 2016, Apple introduced a mandatory protocol for all iOS apps requiring App Transport Security, a security feature incorporating perfect forward secrecy.
How To Use Perfect Forward Secrecy
Perfect forward secrecy is very easy to set up, especially for TLS or SSL websites. These help ensure the security of internet connections, much like secret codes.
Crucially, neither SSL nor TLS selects the encryption technique or controls the critical exchange.
Instead, the server and your computer need to agree on the type of encryption to use. To ensure perfect forward secrecy, you must configure your servers to offer suitable encryption options.
The three compliant key exchanges are Ephemeral Diffie-Hellman (DHE) and Ephemeral Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDHE).
These unique keys need to be set up to be “ephemeral,” meaning they’re only used once. Once your online chat or shopping is done, the secret codes related to that conversation are erased from the server.
This ensures that even if a hacker somehow grabs a secret code, it won’t be helpful for anything once the talk or transaction is over.
How to Implement Perfect Forward Secrecy on Your Server
To ensure your server has perfect forward secrecy, you can check if it uses “ECDHE” or “DHE” in the security details. Any critical exchange that involves these special keys gives you forward secrecy, which is like an extra layer of protection.
Most new servers usually have this setup, but you can follow some steps if yours still needs to. For Nginx servers, find your SSL protocol configuration and add a few lines of code.
Then, restart Nginx. If you’re using Apache, locate your SSL protocol configuration, add some lines, and restart Apache.
However, it’s crucial to set up perfect forward secrecy correctly. One common mistake is turning on support for “DHE” or “ECDHE.”
These need to be a priority for your server to work as intended. If another security method is prioritized, it will be used instead. It’s safer to turn off other security types to avoid potential vulnerabilities.
In the past, there was a problem called the FREAK Attack, discovered in 2015, where hackers could exploit a server by making it use weaker encryption.
To avoid this, deactivating long-duration session IDs or session tickets is essential. These can hang around in a server’s memory even after you’re done with a session, posing a security risk.
Uses of Perfect Forward Secrecy Keys
People rely on perfect forward secrecy keys and encryption for various purposes:
- Keeping Instant Messaging Conversations Secure
Perfect forward secrecy is frequently applied to safeguard online chats. Signal, a messaging app, is notable for introducing and popularizing this feature.
- Safeguarding Web data
Perfect forward secrecy enhances privacy by preventing unauthorized interception of web data. It adds an extra layer of protection to the transport layer of a network, working alongside widely used SSL or TLS and HTTPS protocols.
Some browsers can activate PFS when connecting to compatible HTTPS websites, although not all websites implement this security measure.
- Securing Email Communications
Services like Mailbox.org, a German email provider, utilize perfect forward secrecy to protect messages during transit.
What are the Benefits of Perfect Forward Secrecy?
- Pеrfеct Forward Secrecy is crucial because it offers more robust protection.
- It does this by creating a unique kеy for each onlinе transaction.
- If a hackеr somehow gеts onе kеy, it only lets information from that specific exchange.
- This minimizеs thе data that could be at risk in case of a successful hack.
- Thе sеcurity systеm also makes it less tеmpting for hackеrs to try accеssing important data on thе sеrvеr.
- Evеn if they manage to break thе kеy, thе effort might not bе worth thе limitеd data thеy can accеss.
- While it does not guarantee zеro attеmpts to brеach your sеrvеrs, it makеs you a lеss appеaling targеt for hackеrs.
Use PureVPN For Extra Protection
Perfect forward secrecy keys are the best way to secure your communications online, but not foolproof. If you want to elevate your privacy and security, we recommend you use PureVPN.
PureVPN is the most reliable and versatile option out there. It protects you from viruses and malware by building a tunnel to exchange data from your location to the destination server. The original data gets encrypted and travels through the tunnel to its final destination.
It is ideal to secure your data with military-grade 256-bit encryption.
Perfect Forward Sеcrеcy – A Way Ahead
Online scams are getting out of hand daily, and there is an intense need for encryption protocols that can help us against regular cybersecurity issues.
You can count on perfect forward secrecy for encryption. At the same time, you can get yourself base-level security using PureVPN.
Marrium Akhtar
December 14, 2023
5 months ago
