Easy To Use Ciphers For Creating Strong Passwords In My High School

Malfunctions with software, internet access, and prohibited access of student records from students and local residents have prompted concerns in the security information systems utilized in the K-12 school system in urban Detroit.  On a larger scale, information security has become an important asset for businesses of all sizes and even for individuals for private reasons.  Our hypothesis is that if more effective protocols and algorithms are designed in the school district to better protect sensitive information, then there is a better chance of securing that information meant only for the intended users. Encryption algorithms that are easy to implement, yet hard to break or be recreated by students are the main focus of this study. Such algorithms will require a basic math background. One algorithm allows the school administrator to create a linear math function and then send it to teachers; teachers then have to use the alphabet as a key where A is 1, B is 2, etc. With this information, teachers have to use a three letter word to create their password using the function. A fake domain will also be created as a testing ground for students in order to determine whether or not our algorithms are secure—at least at our institution. We expect to create an algorithm that is hard to break yet easy to use. In addition, based on our results, administration will review our findings and decide whether or not to implement them as standard protocol at our institution.