VandyHacks2021

This is the project for VandyHacks VIII. This project is about the transformation of images using ECC encryption.

Inspiration

Inspired by the historic journey of the Voyager spacecraft mission in the year 1977, we are launching a Golden Record with a similar, yet unique "time capsule" into space. We have always been wondering about the existence of advanced space-faring civilizations dispersed throughout interstellar space and had a beautiful fantasy of possibly communicating with them... Do you want to be a designer of the next Voyager Golden Record and send a piece of information that would be unique to you to interstellar space? If so, welcome to the journey!

What it does

We accept a user input image. The image is then transformed using our hardest-ever yet beautiful algorithm (ECC algorithm) and encoded into a Golden Record which is the only unique disk in the world. Even the same picture would be rendered into two different disks if a different person conducts the encryption, and each picture would have a unique private key associated with it. Of course, with our beautiful algorithm, we are able to translate the message engraving on the disk and transform it back into the original image. Come with your lovely picture and get your disk like a voyager!

How to use it

Using an IDE, you need to first enable the python flask. Run the app.py file, in the command line, you should see a localhost address. Proceed to that address by right-clicking and selecting the link and following the instruction as mentioned.

How we built it

• Python: We used packages like NumPy and PIL to conduct an Elliptical Curve Cryptography encryption for images and display the encrypted images on a golden voyager disc through image processing techniques.
• Google Spreadsheet: We used the Google Cloud Platform to enable API access for both the google drive and google spreadsheet. Then, with a service account coupled with python extension packets (pygsheets for connection to gsheet, and pandas for data frames), necessary data was stored into the spreadsheet and later retrieved through iterating over a generator function of the spreadsheet.
• Flask: It Incorporates back-end ECC encryption and decryption algorithm with the front end to render web pages and provide functionality. It allows users to input/upload their local pictures to our platform, and then provides an encrypted image to them as the output.
• Html, CSS, Javascript: We used both previous and recently obtained knowledge of web-developing techniques to render front-end web pages. Specifically, we used the parallax technique to improve the visual appeal of our platform.

Challenges we ran into

It was hard to fully integrate front end with back end. Moreover, we had difficulties understanding the ECC’s rationale and the instability of the decipher for the self-implemented ECC algorithm at the beginning of the project. It was also difficult to maintain information of the image as much as possible while achieving the most random and diverse transformations in a reasonable amount of time, so as to integrate the google cloud service.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Everything! We started by getting pretty vague decryption after going through our ECC algorithm. We modified its clarity and largely improved the run time of each encryption/decryption process. We attended almost every workshop and were immersed in the awesomeness of the Wond’ry 24/7.We slept only 3 hours for two days and are still alive :)

What we learned

• The concept of the Abelian group and the application of geography into the encryption process.
• How to use Flask and the reason for many of its bugs
• The story of the Voyager and the meaning of graphs on its disk
• Pretty much a lot of topics from the workshop (deep learning, web dev, …)

What's next for Voyager Cryptor

• Further optimize the run time of our ECC algorithm and try to achieve a better balance between encryption efficiency and time consumption.
• Improve the robustness of the functions and interfaces on the website
• Allow user input of multiple images to encrypt/decrypt at the same time
• Open up new realms of application (Bitcoin mining, Encrypted chat room, …)

Citation

Amara, Moncef, and Amar Siad. “Elliptic Curve Cryptography and Its Applications.” International Workshop on Systems, Signal Processing, and Their Applications, WOSSPA, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1109/wosspa.2011.5931464. Singh, Laiphrakpam Dolendro, and Khumanthem Manglem Singh. “Image Encryption Using Elliptic Curve Cryptography.” Procedia Computer Science, vol. 54, 2015, pp. 472–481., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.06.054.