Time to Separate from StackOverflow and Match with ChatGPT for Encryption

• Main Authors: Firouzi, Ehsan, Ghafari, Mohammad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 10-06-2024
• Subjects: Computer Science - Cryptography and Security
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2406.06164

Cryptography is known as a challenging topic for developers. We studied
StackOverflow posts to identify the problems that developers encounter when
using Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA) for symmetric encryption. We
investigated security risks that are disseminated in these posts, and we
examined whether ChatGPT helps avoid cryptography issues. We found that
developers frequently struggle with key and IV generations, as well as padding.
Security is a top concern among developers, but security issues are pervasive
in code snippets. ChatGPT can effectively aid developers when they engage with
it properly. Nevertheless, it does not substitute human expertise, and
developers should remain alert.