Enhancing Data Security with a Hybrid Cryptographic Framework: Diffie-Hellman, RSA, and XOR

Abstract

Cryptography ensures secure communication by protecting confidential data from unauthorized access. The proposed architecture integrates multiple cryptographic techniques to achieve confidentiality, integrity, and performance efficiency. It begins with plaintext input and establishes a secure shared key using the Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange, enabling two parties to generate a common secret over an insecure channel. The shared key undergoes further derivation to enhance randomness and resist brute-force attacks. This strengthened key is applied in a hybrid encryption scheme combining RSA and XOR encryption. RSA provides strong asymmetric security through key pairs, while XOR offers simplicity and computational speed. Together, they create a dual-layer encryption mechanism balancing strength and efficiency. The resulting ciphertext undergoes decryption verification to ensure accurate recovery of the original message. Performance evaluation measures computational cost, encryption speed, and reliability. Overall, the framework delivers a secure, efficient solution suitable for financial transactions, cloud storage, and secure communication systems.