TECHNIQUES USED IN CRYPTOGRAPHY Pt 1 — Encryption And Decryption

Welcome to my blog! As you may already know, we’ve started a series on cryptography and we’re excited to delve deeper into this fascinating subject. Cryptography is the art of secure communication and has been around for centuries. From ancient times to the digital age, the use of cryptography has evolved and become an integral part of our daily lives.

Today, we’ll be discussing techniques used in cryptography, which will help you understand how information is secured in today’s digital age. As a beginner in cybersecurity, understanding the various techniques used in cryptography is crucial for building a solid foundation in the field. Whether you’re a security enthusiast or a developer, it’s important to have a basic knowledge of these techniques. Previous blog here.

So, join me as we explore the various techniques used in cryptography and discover how they work to protect our sensitive information.

ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION

Encryption and decryption are two essential techniques used in cryptography to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or use. Encryption is the process of converting plain text (also known as plaintext) into an unreadable form, called cipher text, using an algorithm and a key. Decryption, on the other hand, is the process of converting cipher text back to plain text using the same algorithm and key.

Encryption is used to secure data while it is in transit or at rest, ensuring that only authorized persons can access and use the information thereby providing us with confidentiality. There are two main types of encryption: symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption.

SCENARIO

Imagine you have a special box that can keep secrets safe. You want to send a secret message to your friend, but you don’t want anyone else to read it. So, you write your message on a piece of paper and put it in the box. But instead of just closing the box and giving it to your friend, you put a lock on the box and keep the key to yourself.

Now, your friend can’t read the message unless they have the key to unlock the box. This is like encryption, where you take a message and use a special code to make it unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have the key.

When your friend receives the locked box, they use the key to open it and read the message. This is like decryption, where you use the key to turn the unreadable message back into the original message.

Encryption and decryption are like having a secret code that only you and your friend know, so you can send secret messages without anyone else knowing what they say.

ILLUSTRATION

Encryption:

Imagine you have a secret message that you want to send to your friend. But you don’t want anyone else to be able to read it, so you turn it into a secret code by using a special machine. This machine jumbles up the letters in your message so that it looks like gibberish.

Original message: “Hi, how are you doing today?”

Encrypted message: “Ih, ohw aer ouy doign tdoay?”

Decryption:

When your friend receives the encrypted message, they need to be able to read it! So you give them a key to the special machine you used to encrypt the message. This key tells your friend how to un-jumble the letters and turn the gibberish back into the original message.

Encrypted message: “Ih, ohw aer ouy doign tdoay?”

Decrypted message (with key): “Hi, how are you doing today?”

IMPORTANCE OF ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION

Encryption and decryption are important security measures for companies because they ensure that sensitive information is kept confidential and cannot be easily accessed by unauthorized individuals.

For example, when a company encrypts its data, it essentially scrambles the information into a format that is unreadable without the right decryption key. This means that even if someone were to gain unauthorized access to the data, they would not be able to understand it without the key.

In addition, encryption can help protect against data breaches and cyber attacks. If an attacker were to gain access to encrypted data, they would still need the decryption key in order to access the information. This provides an additional layer of security for the company’s sensitive information.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, understanding encryption and decryption is an essential component of cybersecurity. It helps to protect sensitive information by ensuring that only authorized parties can access it.

As we continue to explore the world of cryptography, we will dive deeper into symmetric key cryptography, which is a widely used encryption technique. Get ready to learn about how symmetric key cryptography works and its applications in real-world scenarios. Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will explore symmetric key cryptography in detail. Let’s keep the learning and discovery going!