Cryptography

Cryptography is a technique of securing information and communications through

use of codes so that only those persons for whom the information is intended can
understand it and process it, thus preventing unauthorized access to information.
The prefix “crypt” means “hidden” and suffix “graphy” means “writing”. In
Cryptography the techniques which are use to protect information are obtained
from mathematical concepts and a set of rule based calculations known as
algorithms to convert messages in ways that make it hard to decode it.

Techniques used for Cryptography

In today’s age of computers cryptography is often associated with the process
where an ordinary plain text is converted to cipher text which is the text made
such that intended receiver of the text can only decode it and hence this process
is known as encryption. The process of conversion of cipher text to plain text
this is known as decryption.

Features of Cryptography are as follows:

1. Confidentiality: Information can only be accessed by the person for whom it

is intended and no other person except him can access it.
2. Integrity: Information cannot be modified in storage or transition between
sender and intended receiver without any addition to information being
detected.
3. Non-repudiation: The creator/sender of information cannot deny his
intention to send information at later stage.
4. Authentication: The identities of sender and receiver are confirmed. As well
as destination/origin of information is confirmed

Types of Cryptography
1. Symmetric Key Cryptography: It is an encryption system where the sender
and receiver of message use a single common key to encrypt and decrypt
messages. Symmetric Key Systems are faster and simpler but the problem is
that sender and receiver have to somehow exchange key in a secure manner.
 The most popular symmetric key cryptography system are Data Encryption
System(DES) and Advanced Encryption System(AES).

2. Asymmetric Key Cryptography: Under this system a pair of keys is used

to encrypt and decrypt information. A receiver’s public key is used for
encryption and a receiver’s private key is used for decryption. Public key
and Private Key are different. Even if the public key is known by everyone
the intended receiver can only decode it because he alone knows his
private key. The most popular asymmetric key cryptography algorithm is
RSA algorithm.

Applications of Cryptography:

1. Computer passwords: Cryptography is widely utilized in computer security,

particularly when creating and maintaining passwords. When a user logs in,
their password is hashed and compared to the hash that was previously stored.
Passwords are hashed and encrypted before being stored. In this technique,
the passwords are encrypted so that even if a hacker gains access to the
password database, they cannot read the passwords.
2. Digital Currencies: To safeguard transactions and prevent fraud, digital
currencies like Bitcoin also use cryptography. Complex algorithms and
cryptographic keys are used to safeguard transactions, making it nearly hard
to tamper with or forge the transactions.
3. Secure web browsing: Online browsing security is provided by the use of
cryptography, which shields users from eavesdropping and man-in-the-
middle assaults. Public key cryptography is used by the Secure Sockets Layer
(SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols to encrypt data sent
between the web server and the client, establishing a secure channel for
communication.
4. Electronic signatures: Electronic signatures serve as the digital equivalent
of a handwritten signature and are used to sign documents. Digital signatures
are created using cryptography and can be validated using public key
 cryptography. In many nations, electronic signatures are enforceable by law,
and their use is expanding quickly.
5. Authentication: Cryptography is used for authentication in many different
situations, such as when accessing a bank account, logging into a computer,
or using a secure network. Cryptographic methods are employed by
authentication protocols to confirm the user’s identity and confirm that they
have the required access rights to the resource.
6. Cryptocurrencies: Cryptography is heavily used by cryptocurrencies like
Bitcoin and Ethereum to safeguard transactions, thwart fraud, and maintain
the network’s integrity. Complex algorithms and cryptographic keys are used
to safeguard transactions, making it nearly hard to tamper with or forge the
transactions.
7. End-to-End Encryption: End-to-end encryption is used to protect two-way
communications like video conversations, instant messages, and email. Even
if the message is encrypted, it assures that only the intended receivers can
read the message. End-to-end encryption is widely used in communication
apps like WhatsApp and Signal, and it provides a high level of security and
privacy for users.

Advantages

1. Access Control: Cryptography can be used for access control to ensure that
only parties with the proper permissions have access to a resource. Only those
with the correct decryption key can access the resource thanks to encryption.
2. Secure Communication: For secure online communication, cryptography is
crucial. It offers secure mechanisms for transmitting private information like
passwords, bank account numbers, and other sensitive data over the internet.
3. Protection against attacks: Cryptography aids in the defence against various
types of assaults, including replay and man-in-the-middle attacks. It offers
strategies for spotting and stopping these assaults.
4. Compliance with legal requirements: Cryptography can assist firms in
meeting a variety of legal requirements, including data protection and privacy
legislation.
Steganography

What Is Steganography?

A steganography technique involves hiding sensitive information within an

ordinary, non-secret file or message, so that it will not be detected. The sensitive
information will then be extracted from the ordinary file or message at its
destination, thus avoiding detection. Steganography is an additional step that can
be used in conjunction with encryption in order to conceal or protect data. You can
use steganography to hide text, video, images, or even audio data. It’s a helpful bit
of knowledge, limited only by the type of medium and the author’s imagination.

Different Types of Steganography

1. Text Steganography − There is steganography in text files, which entails

secretly storing information. In this method, the hidden data is encoded into the
letter of each word.

2. Image Steganography − The second type of steganography is image

steganography, which entails concealing data by using an image of a different
object as a cover. Pixel intensities are the key to data concealment in image
steganography.

The various terms used to describe image steganography include:

 Cover-Image - Unique picture that can conceal data.

 Message - Real data that you can mask within pictures. The message may be in
the form of standard text or an image.
 Stego-Image − A stego image is an image with a hidden message.

 Stego-Key - Messages can be embedded in cover images and stego-images with

the help of a key, or the messages can be derived from the photos themselves.

3. Audio Steganography − It is the science of hiding data in sound. Used digitally,

it protects against unauthorized reproduction. Watermarking is a technique that
encrypts one piece of data (the message) within another (the "carrier"). Its typical
uses involve media playback, primarily audio clips.

4. Video Steganography − Video steganography is a method of secretly

embedding data or other files within a video file on a computer. Video (a collection
of still images) can function as the "carrier" in this scheme. Discrete cosine
transform (DCT) is commonly used to insert values that can be used to hide the
data in each image in the video, which is undetectable to the naked eye. Video
steganography typically employs the following file formats: H.264, MP4, MPEG,
and AVI.

5. Network or Protocol Steganography − It involves concealing data by using a

network protocol like TCP, UDP, ICMP, IP, etc., as a cover object. Steganography
can be used in the case of covert channels, which occur in the OSI layer network
model.

Steganography vs. Cryptography

It's fair to say that steganography and cryptography aim to shield messages and
data from prying eyes at their most fundamental level. However, they employ an
alternative means of security.

Information is converted into unintelligible ciphertext in cryptography. Someone

intercepting this message could tell immediately that encryption was used. In
contrast, steganography hides a message without altering its original format.
 Factors Steganography Cryptography

It's a method to conceal the fact

that communication is taking It's a method for making information
Explanation place unintelligible

Maintain communication
Aim security Enable data protection

Optional, but increases security

Key when utilized Necessary prerequisite

Data
Visibility No Yes

Once hidden information is You can recover the original message fro
decoded, the data can be used by the ciphertext if you can access the decryp
Failure anyone key

Data Does not modify the data's

Structure general structure Modifies the overall data structure