Page 1 of 26
European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 12, No. 4
Publication Date: August 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/aivp.124.17025.
Ohwobeno, O., Iwasokun, G. B., Adegoke, M. A., Agbelusi, O., David, B., & Ibraheem, T. (2024). Development of a Cryptography
Secured E-Administration System. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(4). 327-352.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Development of a Cryptography Secured E-Administration System
Ohwobeno, Omohwo
Department of Computer Science,
Delta State University, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria
Iwasokun, Gabriel Babatunde
Department of Software Engineering,
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
Adegoke Michael Abejide
Department of Computer Science,
Bells University of Technology, Ota, Nigeria
Agbelusi, Olutola
Department of Software Engineering,
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
David, Bamidele
Department of Software Engineering,
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
Ibraheem, Temitope
Department of Software Engineering,
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the design of the e-administration platform that adopts the
concept of cryptography for identity management. The architectural framework of
the platform comprises subcomponents for service and forms identification,
business process redesign, service architecture, amalgamation, and deployment.
The cryptography model for securing the platform was designed based on the
combination of authentication criteria presented in the Rijndael-Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES), Lattice-based cryptography (LBC), and Secure Hash
Algorithm (SHA512). It is required that a record be encrypted prior to its
commitment to the database via a double encryption method. The AES algorithm- based encryption’s output formed the input to the LBC algorithm to obtain the
final output. Five text files of varying sizes were used to evaluate the performance
of the AES, GGH, and the Hybrid Encryption Algorithm (HEA). The evaluation of the
algorithms focused on three key parameters; namely encryption time, decryption
time, and the size of the encrypted file. Results showed that the time taken by the
HEA encryption algorithm encryption and decryption processes is significantly
higher compared to the time taken by the AES and GGH algorithms. This suggests
that the HEA takes longer times and hence will be more difficult for intruders to
manipulate or read.
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European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 12, Issue 4, August-2024
Keywords: E-administration, cryptography, management system, encryption and
decryption.
INTRODUCTION
The e-administration is performing administrative works via computer and its associated
technologies such as the Internet. It is administrative efforts that center on the exchange of
information and providing services to people and the business sector at high speed and low
cost through computers and networks with the assurance of maintaining information
security. It is based on the positive investment in information technology and communication
in administrative practices [1-13]. In the contemporary world, technology is evolving and the
educational system is seeking to use electronic administration for the attainment of set goals.
The technological transformations in the educational sectors have become fait accompli with
the acceptance of the Internet and Information and Communication Systems (ICTs) [14].
Technology-based education is now one of the ways of growing education with the
appropriate administrative system [15]. According to the authors in [16], organizational
transformation involves transforming and changing the existing corporate culture to achieve
a competitive advantage or address a significant challenge. It is a visible action engaged by
organizational leaders to move from the present manual data management to the emerging
computer-based data administration with a view to reaching a specific target or goals. Hence,
the adoption of technology in education administration and management is key for its
development and expansion [17-18]. The growing trend of the adoption of technology in
administration is attributed to its ease of design and operation [19-22]. E-administration as a
modern alternative keeps pace with recent developments for providing relief and satisfaction
to customers and meeting management demands [23]. The orientation towards e- administration is an urgent need for societies and a strong motivation for administrators to
engage in self-development which is required for solving peculiar management issues
through avoidance of traditional and bureaucratic styles in favor of a more flexible and
friendlier electronic style [24]. E-administration brings different changes to administrative
works and methods as well as provides timely and low-cost information for better quality and
performance [11, 25].
The functions of e-administration include electronic planning by using modern information
systems, regulation of activities that contribute to achieving organizational purposes, and
instant control via the help of internal networking which increases the possibility of following
up on various operations, decisions, error handling, and effective leadership. E-administration
also helps in the effective management of huge data required for daily operations [26-30]. The
challenges to the smooth implementation of e-administration include regulatory as well as
technical obstacles such as hardware specifications, lack of experience among principal
actors, poor infrastructure, and apathy to dealing with such modern systems by workers.
There are also financial obstacles such as the cost of acquisition, installation, and training.
According to the authors in [31-36], e-administration is connected to the understanding of
competencies and effectiveness in administrative tasks, and its success is greatly associated
with the organizational culture and adoption of technology. The most prominent
requirements to apply e-administration are developing a strategic plan and the exploitation of
human and material resources which need training to achieve effort minimization, expanding
administrative work, and easiness of operation [24,37]. Based on needs and interests, the
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Ohwobeno, O., Iwasokun, G. B., Adegoke, M. A., Agbelusi, O., David, B., & Ibraheem, T. (2024). Development of a Cryptography Secured E- Administration System. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(4). 327-352.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
categories of e-administration services include government agencies, businesses, citizens, and
employees [38-39]. The four types of e-government based on their missions and tasks
performed are Government to Citizen (G2C), Government to Business (G2B), Government to
Government (G2G), and Government to Employees (G2E) [40-42]. Security is the pillar of
building a strong relationship of trust between individuals on communication or
administrative platforms. Such platforms are expected to establish the security and integrity
of data, ensure compliance with the expectations of citizens, as well as strengthen a climate of
trust between the system and the users. The fight against cybercrime and fraud is costly
measured and weighs heavily on public trust in e-administration [43]. Hence, the protection
of the e-administration system against accidental or intentional disclosure to unauthorized
access, modification, or destruction has been of great concern. In this context, several studies
have focused on issues related to IT security for citizens and administrations, and a common
agreement has been reached that IT insecurity is a barrier that limits the development of e- administration worldwide [43-45].
Cryptography
Cryptography is the discipline of encrypting and decrypting information or data such that it is
secured. It is a concept of keeping information or data in secret during the course of its
transmission over an unsafe or untrusted network [46-48]. The basic model of a
cryptographic system is conceptualized in Figure 1. The original unenciphered text is called
plaintext. The conversion of a plain text message to its cipher text is called enciphering or
encryption [49-50].
Cryptography is often used to establish a secured communication between two parties or
private storage such that data is made to appear unintelligible to third parties. It is closely
associated to encryption, which is a rescindable process of translating data into non- understandable and unintelligible form, otherwise known as ciphertext. The reverse of
encryption is decryption which is used to transform a ciphertext into its original, clear and
intelligible data. Based on its hash-proof and intrusion resistant formation, cryptography
promotes data confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation [50-51]. These gains explain the
reason why cryptography is mostly adopted for securing most e-administration platforms. For
guiding against teardrop, IP spoofing, man in the middle attack among others, cryptography is
being prominently used as security backbones in shopping and banking systems and any
other system that utilizes the website advantages [46].
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (20001) represents state-of-the-art symmetric
cryptography that traces back to the end of the 20th century. It was raised for countering and
achieving fast integrated circuits required for protecting secret and sensitive information [52-
56]. Other cryptography algorithms include the Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA), Secure Hash
Algorithm (SHA), keyed hashing, authenticated encryption, secret key, public key, and hash
function. The RSA algorithm was presented as a breakthrough in asymmetric cryptography.
Its security derives from the difficulty of factorizing large integers that are the product of two
large prime numbers [57-58]. Cryptographic hash functions are operations that map a
dynamic-sized input to a fixed-size output through mathematical properties, called the hash
value or digest. These functions are one-way functions and are impracticable to inverse. Their
supporting algorithms must be fast on the hash value computation and must be deterministic.
Page 4 of 26
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European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 12, Issue 4, August-2024
For any given input, the hash function must always produce the same output [59-60]. The SHA
is a family of cryptographic hash functions that are universally adjudged as the most suitable
substitutes for the Message Digest 5 (MD5) algorithm that is susceptible to collision attacks
[61-62]. Keyed hashing is used to confirm that the message came from the stated sender and
has not been changed and it is achieved through Message Authentication Code (MAC). MAC
protects a message’s integrity and authenticity by creating a value , called the
authentication tag of the message , using the secret key [49, 63-64].
Authenticated Encryption (AE) is a type of cryptographic technique that promotes the
protection of a message’s confidentiality and authenticity. It is based on the combination of a
symmetric key block cipher to encrypt the message with a MAC algorithm, to produce the
authentication tag. AE is based on encrypt-and-MAC, MAC-then-encrypt composition, and
encrypt-then-MAC construction. These three approaches can be used to obtain an
authenticated encryption algorithm and they differ in the order in which encryption is applied
and the authentication tag is generated [59, 65-66]. In secret key cryptography, encryption is
done by converting the message (plain text) into unintelligible data by using a single key. The
unintelligible data produced as a result of encryption is equal in length to the plain text.
Decryption is consequently performed to obtain the plain text by using the same key as shown
in Figure 2. Public key cryptography is asymmetric cryptography that uses an exclusively kept
and confidential private key and a public key that is possibly identifiable [46].
Wherever Times is specified, Times Roman or Times New Roman may be used. If neither is
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using bit-mapped fonts. True Type 1 or Open Type fonts are required. Please embed all fonts,
in particular symbol fonts, as well, for math, etc.
The e-administration is performing administrative works via computer and its associated
technologies such as the Internet. It is administrative efforts that center on the exchange of
information and providing services to people and the business sector at high speed and low
cost through computers and networks with the assurance of maintaining information
security. It is based on the positive investment in information technology and communication
in administrative practices [1-13]. In the contemporary world, technology is evolving and the
educational system is seeking to use electronic administration for the attainment of set goals.
The technological transformations in the educational sectors have become fait accompli with
the acceptance of the Internet and Information and Communication Systems (ICTs) [14].
Technology-based education is now one of the ways of growing education with the
appropriate administrative system [15]. According to the authors in [16], organizational
transformation involves transforming and changing the existing corporate culture to achieve
a competitive advantage or address a significant challenge. It is a visible action engaged by
organizational leaders to move from the present manual data management to the emerging
computer-based data administration with a view to reaching a specific target or goals. Hence,
the adoption of technology in education administration and management is key for its
development and expansion [17-18]. The growing trend of the adoption of technology in
administration is attributed to its ease of design and operation [19-22]. E-administration as a
modern alternative keeps pace with recent developments for providing relief and satisfaction
to customers and meeting management demands [23]. The orientation towards e-
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331
Ohwobeno, O., Iwasokun, G. B., Adegoke, M. A., Agbelusi, O., David, B., & Ibraheem, T. (2024). Development of a Cryptography Secured E- Administration System. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(4). 327-352.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
administration is an urgent need for societies and a strong motivation for administrators to
engage in self-development which is required for solving peculiar management issues
through avoidance of traditional and bureaucratic styles in favor of a more flexible and
friendlier electronic style [24]. E-administration brings different changes to administrative
works and methods as well as provides timely and low-cost information for better quality and
performance [11, 25].
The functions of e-administration include electronic planning by using modern information
systems, regulation of activities that contribute to achieving organizational purposes, and
instant control via the help of internal networking which increases the possibility of following
up on various operations, decisions, error handling, and effective leadership. E-administration
also helps in the effective management of huge data required for daily operations [26-30]. The
challenges to the smooth implementation of e-administration include regulatory as well as
technical obstacles such as hardware specifications, lack of experience among principal
actors, poor infrastructure, and apathy to dealing with such modern systems by workers.
There are also financial obstacles such as the cost of acquisition, installation, and training.
According to the authors in [31-36], e-administration is connected to the understanding of
competencies and effectiveness in administrative tasks, and its success is greatly associated
with the organizational culture and adoption of technology. The most prominent
requirements to apply e-administration are developing a strategic plan and the exploitation of
human and material resources which need training to achieve effort minimization, expanding
administrative work, and easiness of operation [24,37]. Based on needs and interests, the
categories of e-administration services include government agencies, businesses, citizens, and
employees [38-39]. The four types of e-government based on their missions and tasks
performed are Government to Citizen (G2C), Government to Business (G2B), Government to
Government (G2G), and Government to Employees (G2E) [40-42]. Security is the pillar of
building a strong relationship of trust between individuals on communication or
administrative platforms. Such platforms are expected to establish the security and integrity
of data, ensure compliance with the expectations of citizens, as well as strengthen a climate of
trust between the system and the users. The fight against cybercrime and fraud is costly
measured and weighs heavily on public trust in e-administration [43]. Hence, the protection
of the e-administration system against accidental or intentional disclosure to unauthorized
access, modification, or destruction has been of great concern. In this context, several studies
have focused on issues related to IT security for citizens and administrations, and a common
agreement has been reached that IT insecurity is a barrier that limits the development of e- administration worldwide [43-45].
Cryptography
Cryptography is the discipline of encrypting and decrypting information or data such that it is
secured. It is a concept of keeping information or data in secret during the course of its
transmission over an unsafe or untrusted network [46-48]. The basic model of a
cryptographic system is conceptualized in Figure 1. The original unenciphered text is called
plaintext. The conversion of a plain text message to its cipher text is called enciphering or
encryption [49-50].
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Figure 1: Two-party communication using encryption, with a secure channel for key exchange
Cryptography is often used to establish a secured communication between two parties or
private storage such that data is made to appear unintelligible to third parties. It is closely
associated to encryption, which is a rescindable process of translating data into non- understandable and unintelligible form, otherwise known as ciphertext. The reverse of
encryption is decryption which is used to transform a ciphertext into its original, clear and
intelligible data. Based on its hash-proof and intrusion resistant formation, cryptography
promotes data confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation [50-51]. These gains explain the
reason why cryptography is mostly adopted for securing most e-administration platforms. For
guiding against teardrop, IP spoofing, man in the middle attack among others, cryptography is
being prominently used as security backbones in shopping and banking systems and any
other system that utilizes the website advantages [46].
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (20001) represents state-of-the-art symmetric
cryptography that traces back to the end of the 20th century. It was raised for countering and
achieving fast integrated circuits required for protecting secret and sensitive information [52-
56]. Other cryptography algorithms include the Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA), Secure Hash
Algorithm (SHA), keyed hashing, authenticated encryption, secret key, public key, and hash
function. The RSA algorithm was presented as a breakthrough in asymmetric cryptography.
Its security derives from the difficulty of factorizing large integers that are the product of two
large prime numbers [57-58]. Cryptographic hash functions are operations that map a
dynamic-sized input to a fixed-size output through mathematical properties, called the hash
value or digest. These functions are one-way functions and are impracticable to inverse. Their
supporting algorithms must be fast on the hash value computation and must be deterministic.
For any given input, the hash function must always produce the same output [59-60]. The SHA
is a family of cryptographic hash functions that are universally adjudged as the most suitable
substitutes for the Message Digest 5 (MD5) algorithm that is susceptible to collision attacks
[61-62]. Keyed hashing is used to confirm that the message came from the stated sender and
has not been changed and it is achieved through Message Authentication Code (MAC). MAC
protects a message’s integrity and authenticity by creating a value , called the
authentication tag of the message , using the secret key [49, 63-64].
Authenticated Encryption (AE) is a type of cryptographic technique that promotes the
protection of a message’s confidentiality and authenticity. It is based on the combination of a
symmetric key block cipher to encrypt the message with a MAC algorithm, to produce the
authentication tag. AE is based on encrypt-and-MAC, MAC-then-encrypt composition, and
Key source Encryption Plaintext source
Decryption Destination
Adversary
Unsecured channel
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333
Ohwobeno, O., Iwasokun, G. B., Adegoke, M. A., Agbelusi, O., David, B., & Ibraheem, T. (2024). Development of a Cryptography Secured E- Administration System. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(4). 327-352.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
encrypt-then-MAC construction. These three approaches can be used to obtain an
authenticated encryption algorithm and they differ in the order in which encryption is applied
and the authentication tag is generated [59, 65-66]. In secret key cryptography, encryption is
done by converting the message (plain text) into unintelligible data by using a single key. The
unintelligible data produced as a result of encryption is equal in length to the plain text.
Decryption is consequently performed to obtain the plain text by using the same key as shown
in Figure 2. Public key cryptography is asymmetric cryptography that uses an exclusively kept
and confidential private key and a public key that is possibly identifiable [46].
Figure 2: Flow Diagram Secret Key Cryptography
DESIGN OF E-ADMINISTRATION PLATFORM
The limitations of some of the existing works include lack of integrity and reliability, violation
of individual privacy, susceptible to brute force attack due to data symmetry, lack of terminal
security leading to inability to implement end-to-end security and high computational cost
that increases linearly with the number of messages.
Figure 3: Proposed Architecture for e-administration system
Plain text
Cipher text
Key
Plain text
Cipher text
Encryption Decryption
Systems
Service
Documentation
Identification
Amalgamation
CPR
Service
Platform
Management to Staff Services (MTS)
Management to Management Services (MMS)
Shared Services
Information Services
Interactive Services
Transaction Services
Information System
Regulatory Compliance System
Quality Assurance System
Map of Processes
Descriptions for End State
System Workflow
Contextual Platform
Solution Platform
Network Platform
Departments
Units and Directorates
National Network
Centralized
Decentralized
Hybrid
Process Design
Deployment
Platform
E-Admin
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Ohwobeno, O., Iwasokun, G. B., Adegoke, M. A., Agbelusi, O., David, B., & Ibraheem, T. (2024). Development of a Cryptography Secured E- Administration System. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(4). 327-352.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
Services Platform
This unit is designed to be service-centric with a web-based interface as well as some other
important features of the architecture such as business functionality, and extensible support
to multiple access devices such as desktop computers, mobile devices, and so on. It will be
used to achieve interoperability between the institution-based portals, integrate all
departmental service-oriented applications and websites of all existing units, and for content
hosting. The unit will provide easy access to management information and services, support
focused service delivery channels, and provide information, applications, and services in a
single consolidated browser view as well as a secured and personalized view of multiple
online resources and interactive services. In addition, the service platform will offer a mono
entree unit to important and classified information with fundamental presentations required
for availing the services. In a simplified manner, the platform will present an interface
between the management and other units as conceptualized in Figure 4.
Figure 4: E-administration portal
Amalgamation
This unit will be used for the interconnection of discrete and independent subsystems. The
amalgamation will foster better services and present a solitary source of information for all
the subsystems as well as give a running platform or start point for all the services provided
by the various subsystems. The functionality of the applications and amenities of the various
units is also made available as services using web technologies. This promotes reusability,
ease of integration, interoperability and ease of access to services, data and information.
Figure 5 summarizes the amalgamation method for the system.
Deployment
The deployment of the proposed system will follow the centralized architecture that
standardizes all the amenities and services on the platform. The deployment model will
optimize the gains and spear-head increased integration of the various units. It will also
provide centralized control, one-time unified infrastructure, the basis for the management
team to concentrate on their core business and duties, centralized control and a unified
business model among all units and departments. Furthermore, the deployment model will
help to achieve cohesive workflow across the management units, reduction of redundancy
and duplication of effort, resources and expertise. The data flow diagram of the proposed
university e-administration system is shown in Figure 6.
Memo
service
service
Utility
Recruitment
service
Revenue
service
Data Centre
e-Admin
Portal
Middle
Ware
Web
WAN/
Internet
Dept
Health Unit
Centre
Bursary
Delivery
Channel
Personnel
Management
Community
WAN/
Internet
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Figure 5: System amalgamation
Figure 6: Data flow diagram of a university e-administration system
Cryptography Model for Securing the System
The model for securing the proposed system combines the authentication criteria presented
in Rijndael-Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Lattice-based cryptography (LBC) and
Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA512) cryptography techniques. The record will be encrypted
prior to its commitment to the database via a double encryption method. The encryption will
be based on the AES algorithm whose output will form the input to the LBC algorithm to
obtain the final output to be stored in the database. For every record in the database, there is
a unique passphrase that is encrypted using the record. The encryption is based on the
SHA512 algorithm which is a secured hash algorithm for the enactment of password storage
policy alongside randomly generated salting techniques. A hybrid AES encryption process
Delivery
Channel
Delivery
Layer
Presentation
Layer
Business
Service
Layer
Middleware
Layer
Services
Layer
Security layer
Data layer
Intra services layer
WAN
Applications
DBs
WAN
Head of
Department (HOD)
Process
Encryption
Hybrid
Database with
encryption messages
Process
Encryption
Hybrid
Faculty Head
Vice
Chancellor
HOD’s messages
Encrypt faculty &
Decrypt DVC, Faculty Head & HOD’s messages
Decrypt faculty head’s messages
Decrypt HOD messages
Encrypt faculty head’s messages
Encrypt HOD messages
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
with a secret key 1 will be used for encrypting the information and re-encrypting the
encrypted information using an LBC algorithm with a secret key 2 as shown in Figure 7. The
LBC algorithm is first encrypted as a key 1 based on the steps presented in [61]. The
information stored in the database is further decrypted using the decryption process for LBC
with a Secret Key 2 to decrypt the data for authorized users only before decrypting the output
of the LBC decryption using the decryption algorithm for AES with secret key 1 as shown in
Figure 7. The hashing technique involves the storage of users’ passwords and authorization in
the form of a digital fingerprint of a fixed length in the database. The hashing operation
requires a one-way process of encryption such that the password or authorization code
cannot be decrypted by the system administrator or whoever has access to the database.
Hashing the user password requires the SHA512 algorithm in combination with a random
number as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 7: Proposed Architecture of the Decryption Process
Figure 8: Proposed Architecture of the Hashing and Salting Process
The authentication of user access to the database will be based on comparing the hashes
stored in the database and user supplied as shown in Figure 9. The SHA-512 hashing
algorithm is in the stages presented in [83]. The input formatting stage involves bits padding
where the input message is taken and some padding bits are appended to it in order to get the
desired length. This is followed by size padding in which the size of the original message given
to the algorithm is appended and represented in 128 bits. Following is the hash buffer
initialization in which each block of 1024 bits from the message is processed using the result
User request
to retrieve
data
User request
to retrieve
data
Retrieved
Secret key 2
Decrypt encrypted
Data using LBC
Output of
GGN encryption
Retrieved
Secret key 1
Decrypt output of
LBC with AES
Connection
link
Authorized User
Databas
Server
with encrypted
dat
a
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
Table 1: GGH parameters [63]
Parameter Description Knowledge
N Dimension Public
Σ Security Parameter Public
R N * n Integral Matrix Private
B N * n Integral Matrix Public
Figure 10: The identity-based cryptography platform for the System
The matrices, and are the private key and the public key respectively. serves a good
basis for the reducible lattice , while B encompasses a depraved foundation for irreducible
, such that And the foundation contains the short vector. An arbitrary matrix that
consists of short vectors will be used to generate as follows:
(1)
is an integer with a medium size exceeding is the identity matrix and represents
a random matrix of short vectors. In addition, multiplying by a random uni-modular matrix
gives the public matrix as follows:
(2)
Given that and represent the message, error, and cipher matrices respectively, then the
encryption process on the tree is presented as follows:
(3)
The decryption process is performed thus:
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HEA 121 155 1058
5 AES 747 71 86 992
GGH 85 88 992
HEA 148 192 1332
The decryption time measures the time taken by an algorithm to decrypts a cipher text and
retrieves the original plain text. Comparing the decryption times of different algorithms
provides insights into their efficiency and effectiveness in reversing the encryption process.
The size of the encrypted file is a significant metric that indicates the amount of storage space
required to store the encrypted data. The encryption and decryption times as well as the data
sizes recorded for the three algorithms based on different packet sizes are presented in Table
2. From Table 2, it is evident that the time taken by the HEA both the encryption and
decryption processes is significantly higher compared to the time taken by the AES and GGH
algorithms. This suggests that the new hybrid encryption algorithm takes longer times and
hence will be more difficult for intruders to manipulate or read. The new algorithm utilizes
two secret keys leading to addition of an extra layer of protection as both keys are required
for successful decryption. It will be extremely challenging for an unauthorized user to guess
or obtain both keys, further bolstering the security of the encrypted files. The combination of
longer decryption time and the requirement for two secret keys lead to very robust and
enhanced security and a preferable choice for scenarios where strong encryption and
protection against unauthorized access are of utmost importance. Figures 11, 12 and 13
presents the plots of data size and the encryption time, decryption time and the AES, GGH and
the hybrid algorithms respectively.
Figure 11: Encryption times for AES, GGH and the hybrid algorithm for different data sizes
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evaluation of its potential impact on the administrative workflows. The HODs also gave
valuable perspectives on the system usability and efficiency. Four Deans of distinct faculties;
namely Science, Education, Agriculture, and Management Science also participated in the
testing. These are individuals with advanced degrees, including PhD and extensive experience
and strategic insight to the evaluation process. As senior administrators responsible for
overseeing entire faculties, their involvements ensured alignment with broader institutional
objectives and strategic priorities. The input provided by these officers revealed a high-level
perspective on the system's integration within the academic framework and its potential for
promoting overall operational efficiency. The diverse composition of registered users
involved in the testing of the proposed system ensured a comprehensive evaluation from
various perspectives. During the testing phase, participants were provided with instructional
content via the system's web page. This content served to guide users on system operation
and acquaint them with the requirements for effective utilization. By offering clear and
comprehensive guidance, the instructional materials facilitate user understanding and
streamline the onboarding process. Furthermore, these resources played a vital role in
vesting on users the right to navigate the system's features confidently, thereby maximizing
its potential benefits. Collective feedback and insights from the surveyed users informed by
differing roles, qualifications, and areas of expertise, provided valuable guidance for refining
the system's functionality, enhancing user-friendliness, and addressing any identified areas
for improvement. Table 3 presents a summary of the statistical responses obtained from the
online survey, showcasing the contributions of all users in terms of bandwidth, composed
message, delivered messages and other parameters. These survey responses and performance
evaluations formed the foundation for determining the extent to which the proposed system
was utilized and the assessment of whether the security requirements were met. The
performance of each online session was rated on a scale from Excellent (5) to Poor (1),
providing a quantitative measure of the system's performance based on user feedback and
experiences which facilitated the evaluation of the system's effectiveness and user
satisfaction.
Table 3: Summary of users’ responses to the online survey for week 1 User Bandwidth Composed messages Delivered messages Failed messages Reliability Speed Security Usability Adaptability User Experience
1 5 10 10 0 5 4 5 4 3 4
2 3 8 8 0 4 3 4 3 3 3
3 2 5 4 1 3 2 3 2 2 2
4 4 12 11 1 4 4 4 4 4 4
5 3 6 5 1 3 3 3 3 3 3
6 4 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2
7 4 9 9 0 5 4 5 4 4 4
8 4 7 7 0 4 3 4 3 3 3
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Table 5: Summary of users’ responses in the online survey for week 3
Parameter Percentage of Ratings Mean
Bandwidth Medium to High 2.5
Number of Composed messages Varying (Medium) 5.0
Number of Delivered messages Varying (Medium) 5.0
Number of Failed messages Varying (Low) 0.5
Reliability 70% Good, 30% Very Good 3.45
Speed 40% Average, 60% Good 3.0
Security 50% Good, 50% Excellent 3.45
Usability 100% Good 3.0
Adaptability 100% Good 2.95
User Experience 70% Good, 30% Excellent 3.0
Grand Mean 3.36
Table 5 shows improvement in the bandwidth and performances of the system which led to
increased rating for the number of composed and delivered messages as well as reduction in
number of failed messages. It is also noted that there were improvements in areas of
reliability and security compared to the Figures for week 2.
Table 6: Summary of users’ responses in the survey for week 4
Parameter Percentage of Ratings Mean
Bandwidth High 3.0
Number of Composed messages Varying (Medium to High) 5.0
Number of Delivered messages Varying (Medium to High) 5.0
Number of Failed messages Varying (Low) 0.0
Reliability 70% Good, 30% Very Good 3.45
Speed 60% Good, 40% Very Good 3.0
Security 50% Good, 50% Excellent 3.45
Usability 100% Good 3.0
Adaptability 100% Good 2.95
User Experience 70% Good, 30% Excellent 3.0
Grand Mean 3.34
The result presented in Table 6 shows improved network bandwidth for the users’
assessment in week 4 with all composed messages successfully delivered. For this week, the
system was placed on overall assessment of 3.34 by the users. Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4
assessments show improved trend of performance with growing bandwidth, buttressing that
the system requires a good network connectivity and high bandwidth to function optimally.
Comparison with Other Existing Works
Comparative analysis of obtained results with those from some of the existing works in the
literature was carried out using such metrics as security, key size, and adaptability, among
others. The research being reported demonstrated higher performances as shown in Figure 7.
Table 7 reveals a spectrum of security levels, efficiency, and other attributes across different
systems. For instance, while some systems boast high-security levels, others are rated as
average or low. This variance underscores the diverse approaches to security, suggesting that
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Ohwobeno, O., Iwasokun, G. B., Adegoke, M. A., Agbelusi, O., David, B., & Ibraheem, T. (2024). Development of a Cryptography Secured E- Administration System. European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 12(4). 327-352.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.124.17025
there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Efficiency is another area of contrast. Some systems are
highly efficient, while others are rated as average or low.
Table 7: Comparative analysis with other existing works
Desired
Feature/Functionality
Systems Considered
Jafar [49] Daemen &
Rijmen [56]
Ross [61] Nguyen
[62]
Massoud
[63]
Mohit [64] HEA (Current
work)
Security Level Average High Average Low Average Average High
Efficiency Average High Average Low Low Average High
Cryptosystem
Algorithm
Not used AES GGH Not used Not used BlowFish AES
Key size (for data) Not used Weak (512
bits)
Weak (56
bits)
Not used Not used 1st 2 bits for
security key
Strong (2048
bits)
Cloud environment Not used Used Used Used Used Used Used
Adaptability Average Average Average Low Low Average High
Mobile Alert Service Not used Not used Not used Not used Not used Not used Used for token
notification
Token usage for data
security
Token used for
verification
Not used Not used Not used Not used Not used Token used for
data security
This disparity indicates that there is room for improvement in terms of system efficiency,
which could be a critical factor in the overall performance and user experience of the
platform. The choice of cryptosystem algorithm also varies among the existing systems. Some
use AES, while others use GGH or Blowfish. This suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all
approach to encryption algorithms, and the choice of algorithm may depend on specific
requirements or constraints. Key size used for data encryption is another area of variation.
Some systems use weak key sizes (such as 56 bits), while others use strong key sizes (for
instance 2048 bits). This indicates that there is a trade-off between security and performance,
and the choice of key size may depend on the level of security required and the performance
constraints of the system. Most of the existing systems considered in the studies also require a
cloud environment. This suggests that cloud computing is a popular choice for e- administration platforms, likely due to its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. The
adaptability of the existing systems also varies with some systems having high adaptability,
while others having average or low adaptability. This suggests that there is a need for more
flexible and adaptable systems that can easily accommodate changes and updates. The use of
a mobile alert service is not common among the existing systems considered in the studies.
This suggests that there is an opportunity to improve communication and notification
mechanisms in most platforms, which could enhance user engagement and satisfaction. The
use of tokens for data security is also not common among the existing systems, though
considered in the research being reported. The use of token could provide an additional layer
of protection against unauthorized access and data breaches.
CONCLUSION
The paper presents the development of an e-administration platform and its cryptography- based security model. The service identification unit of the platform is designed to prioritize
e-services in an iterative pattern, guided by both transaction criteria and the perceptions of
stakeholders. Its identification system unit comprises information gathering, transaction
processing, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, evaluation, and assessment sub- systems and will guaranteed organized and simplified procedures in efficient, timely, secured,
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