How to Start Secure Email Communications using OMNeT++

To stimulate the Secure Email Communication project using OMNeT++ has contains the modelling and replicating the protocols for encode and authentication in the mechanisms used for secure email systems. We could be replicate the communication for email messages over a networking and concentrating on executing the security characteristics such as TLS encryption, digital signatures, and PKI-based authentication.

Here’s a step-by-step demonstrate the below listed steps:

Steps to Start Secure Email Communications Projects using OMNeT++

  1. Install OMNeT++
  • Download: Get the latest version from.
  • Install: Follow the installation process for your operating system.
  • Verify: Introduce the OMNeT++ IDE and we assure the successful installation.
  1. Install Required Frameworks

Intended for protected the email communication and we require the network framework to replicate the network protocols.

Recommended Frameworks:

  1. INET Framework:
    • Maintain the email protocols like SMTP, IMAP, and POP3, along through security protocols like TLS for used the INET framework.
    • Download from INET’s official page.

Installation Steps:

  1. Download the INET framework.
  2. Excerpt it into your OMNeT++ workspace.
  3. Delivers the framework for the IDE such as File > Import > Existing Projects.
  4. Generate the INET framework we assure the compatibility.
  1. Define the Scope of Secure Email Communication

Key aspects to simulate:

  • Email Protocols: The SMTP for sending emails for POP3/IMAP in receiving email protocols.
  • TLS Encryption: Protect the communication channel among email clients and servers.
  • Digital Signatures: Assure the message authenticity and integrity for digital signatures.
  • Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): Accomplish the encode keys and certificates for a PKI.
  • Anti-spoofing Measures: Replicate the anti-spoofing measures for SPF, DKIM, or DMARC mechanisms.
  1. Define Network Topology

Utilized the network topology for secure email communication for .ned files and we build a network topology that involves the email clients for mail servers and intermediate routers.

Example .ned File for Secure Email Network:

network SecureEmailNetwork

{

submodules:

emailClient[0..4]: EmailClient;   // Five email clients

mailServer: MailServer;          // Email server

internet: Router;                // Simulated internet router

connections:

emailClient[*].ethg++ <–> internet.ethg++;

mailServer.ethg++ <–> internet.ethg++;

}

  1. Configure Secure Email Protocols

Set up email protocols (SMTP, POP3/IMAP) and enable TLS for secure communication.

Example Configuration:

[General]

network = SecureEmailNetwork

sim-time-limit = 300s

# Email Client Configuration

*.emailClient[*].smtpServerAddress = “mailServer”

*.emailClient[*].useTLS = true

*.emailClient[*].tlsCertFile = “clientCert.pem”

*.emailClient[*].privateKeyFile = “clientKey.pem”

# Mail Server Configuration

*.mailServer.pop3.enableTLS = true

*.mailServer.smtp.enableTLS = true

*.mailServer.tlsCertFile = “serverCert.pem”

*.mailServer.privateKeyFile = “serverKey.pem”

# Network Configuration

*.internet.packetDelay = uniform(10ms, 50ms)

*.internet.packetLossRate = 0.01  # Simulate 1% packet loss

  1. Implement Security Features
  • TLS Encryption:
    • Protect the communication among email clients and servers using TLS encode.
  • Digital Signatures:
    • Sign in the emails through a sender’s private key and verify by the public key.
  • PKI:
    • Replicate the certificate management for email encode and signature verification.
  • Anti-spoofing:
    • Execute the anti-spoofing for SPF, DKIM, or DMARC to prevent email forgery.

Example C++ Code for Digital Signature:

void EmailClient::signEmail(EmailMessage *email)

{

std::string signature = createSignature(email->getBody(), privateKey);

email->setSignature(signature);

}

void MailServer::verifyEmail(EmailMessage *email)

{

bool isValid = verifySignature(email->getBody(), email->getSignature(), email->getSenderPublicKey());

if (!isValid)

{

dropEmail(email);

}

}

  1. Add Threat Simulations (Optional)

Replicate the threats for validate the security mechanisms:

  • Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attack:
    • Replicate the MITM attack seizure the modification of emails.
  • Phishing Attack:
    • Replicate the phishing attacks for spoofed emails and finding the validation for mechanisms.
  • Replay Attack:
    • Validate the attack system’s resilience and we replayed the messages.
  1. Run the Simulation
  • Run Simulation:
    • Implement the omnetpp.ini file in the OMNeT++ IDE.
  • Debugging:
    • Utilized the simulation for debugging in logs and visualizations we observe the flow for email of encode and validation the signature.
  1. Analyze Results
  • Metrics to Evaluate:
    • The latency of email delivery.
    • It encoded the overhead.
    • It gives the Success rate of email delivery.
    • Finding the metrices rate for spoofed or forged emails.
  • Visualization Tools:
    • Utilized the visualize tools in OMNeT++’s built-in result analysis tools and we estimate the. sca and .vec files.
    • Transfer the data for Python, MATLAB, or Excel for advanced analysis.
  1. Extend the Project
  • Advanced Authentication:
    • Evaluate the OAuth2 for client authentication.
  • Post-Quantum Security:
    • Replicate the quantum-resistant cryptographic technique for email encode in the post-quantum security.
  • Content Filtering:
    • Improve the spam filtering mechanisms using Bayesian models or AI for content filtering.
  • Scalability Testing:
    • Maximum the number of clients and servers we estimate the system performance below the load.
  • Security Analytics:
    • Visualize the security attacks and responses the real-time dashboards for analytics.

Example Use Cases for Secure Email Communication

  1. End-to-End Encryption:
    • Replicate the secure email delivery utilized the end-to-end encryption PGP or S/MIME.
  2. Anti-Phishing Mechanisms:
    • Estimate the effectiveness of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC against the spoofed emails.
  3. TLS Performance:
    • Calculate the effect of TLS encode on email delivery latency.
  4. Certificate Revocation:
    • Validate and PKI mechanisms for certificate revocation and renewal.
  5. Spam and Malware Detection:
    • Execute and implement the spam detection and malware filtering.

In this setup, we clearly learned and gain knowledge on how the Secure Email Communication project will perform in the network simulation environment using the tool of OMNeT++ and also, we deliver the sample snippets to complete the process.

We focus on security features including TLS encryption, digital signatures, and PKI-based authentication. To initiate your Secure Email Communications Projects utilizing OMNeT++, we at phdprojects.org will provide you with comprehensive, step-by-step guidance throughout your project. Our team will assist you in modeling and replicating the protocols based on your research efforts.

If more doubts arise, we will illustrate another manual.