Hierarchy of Cryptanalysis Attacks
There are four different grades of cryptanalysis attack:
-
Total break.
The cryptanalyst can generate the key used to
encrypt a
ciphertext.
-
Global deduction.
The cryptanalyst creates an algorithm equivalent to the encryption or
decryption algorithm.
-
Local deduction.
Either
- when given a ciphertext the cryptanalyst can create the corresponding plaintext, or
- when given a plaintext the cryptanalyst can create the corresponding ciphertext.
-
Distinguishing algorithm.
The cryptanalyst creates an algorithm that can determine if a given input is random information, or the output of
a certain cipher with a randomly chosen key.
Note that the attacks are ordered.
A total break implies a global deduction which implies a local deduction which implies a distinguishing algorithm.
References
L. R. Knudsen, M. J. B. Robshaw, The Block Cipher Companion. Springer, 2011.