CurveCP: Usable security for the Internet


Introduction
Main features:
Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Efficiency
Decongestion
Addressing
Protocol details:
Packets
Nonces
Messages
Integration:
HTTP
SMTP
Programming:
Message handlers

Efficiency

This page will eventually present various measurements of the CPU time, network bandwidth, and latency of communicating data through CurveCP.

This page focuses on CurveCP's performance on various common types of uncongested links, including weak wireless networks with noticeable levels of packet loss. There is a separate page discussing CurveCP's congestion control and fairness to other connections.

CPU overhead

CurveCP uses high-speed high-security elliptic-curve cryptography so that it can set up a connection very quickly. It then uses high-speed high-security secret-key cryptography so that it can efficiently handle large volumes of data in the connection.

Measurements will appear here eventually.

Network overhead without packet loss

CurveCP's protections against espionage, corruption, and sabotage mean that a typical CurveCP packet has somewhat more overhead than a typical TCP packet. However, for short connections, CurveCP uses less traffic than HTTPS and much less traffic than SSH.

Measurements will appear here eventually.

Network overhead with packet loss

Measurements will appear here eventually.

Latency without packet loss

Measurements will appear here eventually.

Latency with packet loss

Measurements will appear here eventually.

Version

This is version 2011.02.09 of the efficiency.html web page.