Types of Cryptography
There are different types of cryptography that users should be informed
about. Cryptography has evolved over the years to become polished and
effective. It is applied in different industries such as e-commerce, digital
currencies, and law enforcement agencies. There are different types of
cryptography algorithms analyzed in this section.
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The first one is secret-key cryptography- this type of cryptography is primarily used to
maintain security and privacy. It employs one key for encryption and decryption. It is also
known as symmetric-key encryption.
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Another type of cryptography is public-key cryptography, also known as asymmetric
encryption. It is used for authentication purposes. A hash function is the other type of
encryption which is mostly used for message integrity. It utilizes a mathematic algorithm to
encrypt messages, and SHA-1 is an example of a hash algorithm. Public key cryptography is
said to be the most important development in cryptography. Martin Hellman, Stanford
University professor, was the first to describe Public-key cryptography. He stated that it
depends on the availability of one key. If you are using multiplication versus factorization, for
example, if you have two prime numbers 5 and 7, and want to calculate the product, it should
not take long to derive the value, which is 35. Now assume that you have a number that is a
product of two primes, 35 and want to know those primes. You will eventually come up with
the numbers, but it will take longer than it took to get the value of the two prime numbers.
The problem is magnified if we use prime numbers that have 200 digits or so because the end
product will have -400. While this example seems trivial, it represents functional pairs used
with public-key encryption.
Generic public-key encryption uses two keys that are connected, but
knowledge of one key does not enable one to know the other key. One key
is employed to encrypt plaintext while the other is used to decrypt it. It does
not matter which key is used first, but that both keys are needed for it to
work. In public-key encryption, one key is considered the public key, and
the owner can advertise it if he wants to. The other key is the private key
and remains private. For example, if Winnie wants to send a message to
Paul, she will encrypt some information using Paul’s public key. Paul will
decipher the message using his private key, and this technique can be used
to determine who sent the message. When Paul decrypts the message using
Winnie’s public key, he will know that she sent the message and she cannot
deny that fact.
Another name for Hash functions is one-way encryption. It uses no key and
has a fixed-length hash on the plaintext that makes it difficult to recover the
length of the plaintext. Hash algorithms are employed to get the digital
fingerprint of files and make sure that it is free from viruses. They are also
used by operating systems to encrypt passwords. Therefore, it provides a
strategy to guarantee the safety and integrity of files. Since hash functions
are one-way, it is impossible to decrypt files. Some websites claim to
decipher such files, but the only thing that they do is to find suitable strings
that produce the hash. Hash algorithms commonly used today include
Message Digest (MD) algorithms, MD2, and MD4.
Extensions of hash algorithms are applied for various information security,
such as has libraries, rolling hashes, and fuzzy hashes. Rolling ashes refer to
hash values computed based on a fixed length of the gliding window via the
input. It might be computed bytes 1-10 of one file. Hash libraries are sets of
hash values that correspond to known files. It has the hash values of files
that are part of a certain operating system. For instance, it could be part of a
known file set and might be overlooked in an investigation for malware.
Fuzzy hashes form part of intense research and stand for hash values that
represent two inputs of similar values.
These three encryption techniques are important for a couple of reasons.
Every technique is optimized for certain cryptographic applications. For
example, hash algorithms are ideal for ensuring data integrity because
changes made to the content leads to the receiver calculating another hash
value than the one given by the sender. Because it is unlikely that the same
message will give two different hash values, hash functions ensure data
integrity. Secret key encryption is perfect for encrypting messages,
provides confidentiality and privacy. The sender is in a position to generate
a session key to encrypt the message. The receiver needs that key to decode
the message. Asymmetric algorithms can be employed in non-repudiation
and user-authentication. In case the sender can get the session key
encrypted with the private key, only he could have sent the message. Public
key encryption can also be used to encrypt messages, but it seldom happens
because secret key values can be computed up to 100 times faster than
cryptographic values. Size does not matter in cryptography. When the key is
large, it is hard to crack a block of encrypted data.
This is because large keys give more protection than is noticed. Moreover,
computers have made it possible to attack ciphertext through brute force
instead of aiming at mathematics. In the past, the brute force could not be
used in computers, but things have changed. While cryptography is good,
long keys can interfere with the nature of data files. The US. The
government controls tightly the export of crypto products. Safe use of
cryptography needs trust, and lack of it can jeopardize the entire process.
While hash codes can ensure integrity and secret key cryptography can
ensure security and confidentiality, they cannot work without trust .
To help you understand the concept of encryption, let us use an example,
suppose a person B sends a text to friend C who stays in a different state
through a public platform. However, someone named D hacks the security
of the communication and redirects the message from B to C. This is where
cryptography comes in. B uses a key to encrypt the message and sends, but
this time person C cannot decode the message because it is encrypted.
Receiver C will be given a decryption key to use once he receives the
message. Even if D manages to hack the system midway and changes the
message, C will get error information when he attempts to decrypt it. This
way, he will know that the message was intercepted and is unreliable.
People who do not encrypt messages face the risk of getting the wrong
message and never knowing about it.
Cryptography is used to protect the integrity and authenticity of messages.
The idea of having electronic keys in a communication network is to make
sure that the recipient gets the right message without interference. Through
the help of a secure system, the recipient can decode the message using
cryptographic keys and algorithms. Anytime communication takes place
over an electronic network; there is always a risk of interference. Hence,
people take security measures via cryptography to overcome risks. There
are important elements that create the platform for cryptography, including
authentication, privacy, non-repudiation, and integrity. There are also
different cryptography algorithms and keys to suit the needs of users.
Cryptography plays a crucial role in securing information and the image of
a company .
Cryptography is used by big companies like Uber, GEICO, and eBay. This
is because security threats have increased in the last few years and
customers feel safe using services that prioritize their safety. When a
company goes the extra mile to protect its customers, it boosts customers’
confidence in the brand. On the other hand, some firms care less about
customer safety and do not want to incur extra expenses. In today's society,
customers are informed and opt for brands that care about their welfare.
Firms are hiring security specialists to educate them on cryptography and its
application. Cryptography has employment opportunities for professionals.
However, it takes time and commitment to learning how to works. Patient
and committed individuals have an easy time understanding and encrypting
messages.
There are different aspects of security and applications that users should
know more about. They range from secure commerce and payments to
protecting health care information. Cryptography is an essential aspect of
securing information. However, it is necessary to note that cryptography
alone is not enough to guarantee security. We start with unencrypted data in
encryption, commonly known as plaintext. It is encrypted into ciphertext
which can be decrypted into plaintext. The kind of cryptography scheme
being used determines the encryption and decryption processes.
Cryptography is linked to the development of mathematical algorithms
employed to encrypt and decrypt messages.
Example of visual cryptography
Cryptography
Seamless cryptography pattern
Visual cryptography
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