In the field of cryptanalysis, what is meant by a “rubber-hose” attack?

In the field of cryptanalysis, what is meant by a “rubber-hose” attack?
A . Forcing the targeted keystream through a hardware-accelerated device such as an ASIC.
B. A backdoor placed into a cryptographic algorithm by its creator.
C. Extraction of cryptographic secrets through coercion or torture.
D. Attempting to decrypt ciphertext by making logical assumptions about the contents of the original plaintext.

View Answer

Answer: C

Explanation:

A powerful and often the most effective cryptanalysis method in which the attack is directed at the most vulnerable link in the cryptosystem

– the person. In this attack, the cryptanalyst uses blackmail, threats, torture, extortion, bribery, etc. This method’s main advantage is the decryption time’s fundamental independence from the volume of secret information, the length of the key, and the cipher’s mathematical strength.

The method can reduce the time to guess a password, for example, for AES, to an acceptable level; however, it requires special authorization from the relevant regulatory authorities. Therefore, it is outside the scope of this course and is not considered in its practical part.