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Cryptography Detailed Overview

Cryptography Detailed Overview

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5 views

Cryptography Detailed Overview

Cryptography Detailed Overview

Uploaded by

hockwell786
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cryptography: In-Depth Overview, Types, and Key Algorithms

What is Cryptography?
Definition: Cryptography is the art and science of transforming information into a secure
format so only authorized users can access it. It is widely used to secure communications,
verify identities, and ensure data integrity.

Purpose of Cryptography:
1. Confidentiality: Keeps data private, accessible only to intended users.
2. Integrity: Ensures data remains unchanged and genuine.
3. Authentication: Confirms the identity of users or systems.
4. Non-repudiation: Ensures that the sender cannot deny sending a message.

Types of Cryptography

1. Symmetric Key Cryptography


Description: Uses a single, shared secret key for both encryption and decryption. This key
must be kept private between sender and receiver.

Characteristics:
• Speed: Faster and less computationally intense, making it suitable for encrypting large
amounts of data.
• Key Management: The main challenge is securely sharing the key between parties.

Example: When you encrypt a file with a password, that same password is needed to
decrypt it. Both parties must keep this password safe.

2. Asymmetric Key Cryptography


Description: Involves a pair of keys—one public key and one private key. The public key
encrypts data, while only the matching private key can decrypt it. This ensures secure data
exchange without directly sharing a secret key.

Characteristics:
• Security: Provides strong security for exchanging sensitive information.
• Efficiency: Slower than symmetric methods, so often used for secure key exchange rather
than large data encryption.

Example: HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) uses asymmetric cryptography.


When accessing a secure website, your browser and the server exchange encrypted keys
using asymmetric cryptography before starting a secure session.
Key Algorithms in Cryptography

Symmetric Key Algorithms

1. Data Encryption Standard (DES)


Overview: DES is one of the earliest and most widely used symmetric encryption
algorithms, developed by IBM in the 1970s and adopted by the U.S. government as a
standard.

How It Works:
Encrypts data in fixed 64-bit blocks, using a 56-bit key. The key is applied in 16 rounds of
substitution and permutation operations to create the ciphertext.

Security:
DES was secure when introduced, but its short key length makes it vulnerable to brute-force
attacks today.

Example Use: DES was extensively used in banking, finance, and government applications.
However, it’s largely replaced due to its vulnerability.

2. Triple DES (3DES)


Overview: 3DES was created to strengthen DES by applying it three times to each data
block, effectively increasing the key length to 168 bits.

How It Works:
Data is encrypted, decrypted, and then re-encrypted using three DES operations. This
process, though slower, increases security.

Security:
3DES is more secure than DES but is slower and still susceptible to certain modern
cryptographic attacks.

Example Use: 3DES was widely used in financial services, ATM encryption, and legacy
payment systems. It has since been replaced by AES due to efficiency and higher security
standards.

3. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)


Overview: AES, developed in the early 2000s, is the current standard for symmetric
encryption due to its security and performance.

How It Works:
AES works with data blocks of 128 bits and supports key lengths of 128, 192, or 256 bits,
providing flexibility and strong encryption. AES performs operations over multiple rounds
(10, 12, or 14, depending on key size) involving substitution, permutation, and mixing.

Security:
AES is highly resistant to brute-force attacks and is considered secure for most applications.
Example Use: AES is used in online banking, Wi-Fi security (WPA2), VPNs, and many data
encryption applications due to its strength and efficiency.

Asymmetric Key Algorithm

1. RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman)
Overview: RSA is one of the most popular and widely used asymmetric algorithms, known
for its security based on the difficulty of factoring large prime numbers.

How It Works:
Uses two keys—a public key to encrypt data and a private key to decrypt. The public key is
shared openly, while the private key is kept confidential by the user. Only the private key
can decrypt data encrypted with the public key, ensuring secure communication.

Security:
RSA is secure when key lengths of 2048 bits or more are used. However, it requires more
computational power, making it slower than symmetric algorithms.

Example Use: RSA is used in digital signatures, secure email, and HTTPS for secure internet
connections. For instance, when you access a secure website, RSA helps establish a secure
session by exchanging keys.

Real-World Applications of Cryptography


1. Online Banking and E-Commerce
- AES secures transactions to protect personal and financial data.
- Example: When you enter your credit card information, AES encrypts it to prevent
hackers from intercepting the data.

2. Secure Messaging Applications (e.g., WhatsApp, Signal)


- End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and receiver can read messages,
making communication private.
- Example: WhatsApp encrypts messages with AES for content privacy, while RSA ensures
that only the intended recipient can decrypt messages.

3. Email Security
- Email encryption tools like PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) combine symmetric and
asymmetric cryptography to secure email content.
- Example: A user encrypts an email with AES, then securely shares the key with the
recipient using RSA, ensuring the email can only be read by the intended recipient.

4. Website Security (HTTPS)


- HTTPS secures website traffic, preventing interception and tampering.
- Example: RSA is used in HTTPS to establish a secure connection between your browser
and a website, keeping data like login information safe during transmission.
Summary
• Cryptography: Protects information by encoding it, ensuring that only authorized users
can access it.
• Types of Cryptography:
- Symmetric (e.g., DES, 3DES, AES): Uses one key for both encryption and decryption,
making it faster but requiring secure key sharing.
- Asymmetric (e.g., RSA): Uses two keys, one public and one private, for secure key
exchange and authentication.
• Applications: Widely used in online banking, messaging apps, secure emails, and web
security to protect sensitive information.

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