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Protecting our personal data and sensitive information is an inevitable process and security measure in the contemporary world. The 21st century is all about digital services and transactions. So the chance of exposing the data to the wrong hands is higher. That is why digital security is a 21st-century need.
Cryptography is a digital security method that is implemented to protect information and communications using mathematical codes called algorithms. It helps to maintain the confidentiality of information and limit the user engagement. Only the intended users can access the information when it is secured via cryptography.
In this article, we focus on what cryptography is, the essential things we need to know to ensure our digital security, and how cryptography is used in digital communication.
Cryptography- Things need to know!
We already discussed that cryptography is all about protecting our digital data and making it secure. To understand cryptography well, we need to understand some specific terms thoroughly. In the terminology of cryptography, encryption and decryption are prominent.
1. Encryption
Encryption is the process of converting plain text (readable data format) into cipher text (unreadable data format) with the help of a secret key. This transformation will make a normal readable message unreadable code language accessible only by authorized individuals. The cryptographic key is a term closely associated with encryption. It is the set of algorithmic values that only the sender and recipient are aware of.
There are two main types of encryption in cryptography. Symmetric and Asymmetric are the two types.
Symmetric encryption
It is a type of cryptography that uses the same key to both encrypt and decrypt a particular message. In this type, both the sender and receiver should have access to the same secret code or algorithm to encode and decode a particular message.
Asymmetric encryption
It is another type of cryptography that is also known as public-key encryption. In this method, a pair of encryption keys are used to encode and decode the same message. A combination of private key and public key is required to access the message. In this system, a message can’t be decoded or encoded unless the user has both public and private keys.
Uses of encryption
- Encryption can protect the devices(including smartphones and personal computers)
- Ensuring security to financial transactions( online purchases and bank transactions)
- Providing privacy for messages
- Encryption can enhance the security of wifi networks
2. Decryption
It is the process of transforming the cipher text(unreadable data format) into plain text(readable data format). This is the opposite process of encryption. In this process, a cryptographic algorithm and a security key are required to decrypt the data. The sender and receiver should only be aware of the codes.
Uses of Decryption
- Enhance security for communication by making only the sender and receiver capable of decoding the message.
- Decryption enables the provision to recover the data stored on a server or in any kind of cloud storage.
- It helps to verify the genuineness of of digital signature
- It can protect the sensitive information involved in banking transactions.
Other techniques of cryptography
Cryptography has various techniques besides encryption and decryption. Elliptic curve cryptography, Digital Signatures, Hashing, and Homomorphic encryption are the other techniques of cryptography. Here is a detailed explanation of the above-mentioned techniques.
1. Elliptic curve cryptography(ECC)
Elliptic curve cryptography is a public-key type cryptography technique that uses mathematical characteristics of elliptic curves to create the encryption keys. The security of this system lies in the difficulty level of solving the elliptic curve logarithm problem. ECC is commonly used in areas like cryptocurrencies and secure communication.
2. Digital Signatures
It is a type of electronic signature that is used to verify the genuineness of digital data like emails, credit card transactions, digital documents, etc. It uses a mathematical algorithm to validate the authenticity and genuineness of digital data. It creates a digital fingerprint that is exclusively designed for a person or organization to protect the digital data.
3. Hashing
In cryptography, hashing is a type of method that is adopted to convert data into hash value or a string-like arrangement of characters. The key characteristic of this method is, that once it is converted into hash values, it is impossible to decode back or retrieve the message into the initial format. This method is used in a wide range of applications like, password storage, digital signatures, file management, document management, etc.
4. Homomorphic encryption
Homomorphic encryption is a type of encryption method that is primarily used to make the data confidential and secure. It uses complex mathematical operations and algorithms to ensure the security of the data. Cloud computing, secure voting systems, and data analytics are the major sectors that use the service of Homomorphic encryption.
These are the major techniques and applications of cryptography. These methods ensure the safety of data in its unique ways. Each method adopts complex mathematical operations and algorithms to secure digital data and create a safe environment in the digital space.
Importance of Cryptography in the contemporary digital era
We all live in the digital era where our digital information holds ultimate value and is one of the most valuable assets in our lives. So protecting these valuable data becomes an inevitable part of our daily lives. We adopt different kinds of data management programs in our contemporary society. Cryptography is one of the most effective methods to protect and make our online data secure. It can protect our online data and enable trusted online transactions. In this segment, we delve into some insights to highlight the importance of cryptography in our digital era.
Data Protection
Data protection is the major application of cryptography. A vast amount of personal and public data is available online, which includes sensitive data as well. Cryptography can ensure the protection of these data and it will prevent unauthorized access and potential data breaches that lead to the misuse of sensitive data.
Cryptography converts the format of data from readable format to unreadable format using algorithms. This can protect the data from unauthorized decryption and it will never go into the wrong hands. This system only provides access to the authorized person when they possess the required pass keys to decrypt the message. So an unauthorized entry to the data is most unlikely.
Securing communications
Cryptography enables a secure and reliable communication environment in the digital space. It creates this via methods like end-to-end encryption. It is the technology in which only the sender and receiver have access to the content inside the communication modes. Communication applications like WhatsApp, and iMessage, use end-to-end encryption to secure the communication and make the conversation private.
Data integrity
Cryptography and the associated technologies like hashing ensure data integrity. It can check whether the data has been altered or subjected to any modification. Cryptography and data checking of data integrity an essential parts of the e-commerce, financial system where data authenticity can make a huge difference.
Government and military
Cryptography is a method that plays a major role in government data protection and sensitive data from the military and defense. These are the two major systems in a country where classified data and its usage are at the highest level. So a strong technology that can ensure data protection at a high level should be needed. Cryptography is the best in the business and can provide better data protection.
Secure Browsing
Cryptography can ensure the security of your browsing using technologies like virtual private networks(VPNs) Security Sockets Layer(SSL), and Transport Layer Security(TLS) protocols to ensure the safety of browsing and provide a better browsing environment in the digital space.
Major Challenges of Cryptography
Every process has to go through some limitations and needs to face some challenges for a smooth performance. Cryptography too has challenges or certain weak points in its nature. In this section, we will be focusing on the major challenges of cryptography. Users can find the key challenges of both symmetric cryptography and asymmetric cryptography.
Key challenges of symmetric cryptography
Key challenges of symmetric cryptography include:
Distribution of private key
This could be a major challenge for symmetric cryptography. In symmetric cryptography, there is a private key that should be known to both sender and receiver. The key must be shared securely in order to avoid the potential security threat. So the distribution should be done with utmost care. If the key is lost or exposed publicly, the data is vulnerable and has a higher chance of reaching the wrong hands.
Management of private key
Private key management is another complex process and challenge in symmetric cryptography. The private key needs to be placed in a secure storage option. Users need to manage the private key carefully to avoid its permanent and temporary loss.
Key revocation
Key revocation is an important process in symmetric cryptography. The private keys should be removed from all the devices when they become invalid or the use of them is expired. Unless the key revocation is done properly, the chance of data misuse will be possible.
Lack of non-repudiation
The identity of the creator of cipher text is unavailable in symmetric cryptography. Both sender and receiver are using the same private key in this system, so the anonymity of the sender and receiver is still there. This is a major challenge in symmetric cryptography.
Key challenges of asymmetric cryptography
Key challenges of asymmetric cryptography include:
Speed
Speed is a major challenge for asymmetric cryptography. Asymmetric cryptography is comparatively slower than symmetric cryptography. So it cannot be used in data protection schemes where large amounts of data are involved. Users who deal with mass amounts of data will not prefer this mode, instead, they go for symmetric cryptography.
Key management
Private key management is a common challenge in both symmetric cryptography and asymmetric cryptography. In asymmetric cryptography, there will be two private keys. One is the private key that belongs to the particular individual and one is a public key that is common for both the sender and receiver. These two keys should be managed properly to avoid all data breaches and potential data misuse.
Complexity
Complexity is another challenge for asymmetric cryptography. It is much more polished and sophisticated than symmetric cryptography. So it can be more complex and difficult to process and manage. So many users are not ready to consider asymmetric cryptography because of this reason.
Increased vulnerability
Asymmetric cryptography is more vulnerable to attacks. So most of the users are reluctant to adopt this method to keep their private data securely. Man-in-the-middle attacks are the most powerful attacks that can make asymmetric cryptography more vulnerable.
Benefits of cryptography
Cryptography is the process of making personal data secure via mathematical algorithms and private keys. It has several advantages and it is one of the most effective data preservation programs in our contemporary society. Data Security It is the primary benefit of cryptography. The 21st century is all about digital transactions of data, and the chance of data exposure is high, so a strict and ideal data management system is a requirement. It is where cryptography emerges. It protects our data using private keys and algorithms.
Unmatched confidentiality is another benefit of cryptography. In this system, only the sender and receiver can access the encrypted data or protected data. The lack of intermediate parties ensures confidentiality. Users will be free from unauthorized individuals and parties. This will create more security for the data and keep it away from all the possible malicious cyber attacks.
The encrypted data can be accessed on multiple devices. We may need to use multiple devices in cyber activities, so data transfer can be a big challenge and it has a high probability of reaching the wrong hands. However if the data is protected with cryptography or encryption is used, the data will stay secure and safe even if it is placed on multiple devices. It is one of the widely used benefits of cryptography since cyberspace requires multiple devices and data transfer for its better functioning.
These are the major benefits of cryptography. There are a lot of benefits that can be seen when it comes to cryptography. This list is limited and those who are interested to know more about the benefits of cryptography can go beyond this information by browsing more on the internet.
Future of cryptography
The future of the cryptography will be post-quantum cryptography. It is a set of algorithms that are exclusively designed to shield the data against attacks from both classical and quantum computers. Quantum-proof, quantum-safe, and quantum-resistant are the other names of post-quantum cryptography.
The digital space will grow beyond our ages in the upcoming years, so the existing encryption methods will become less powerful and impotent. It is still in its development phase, it can redefine the entire cybersecurity once the full-fledged version is launched.
Also Read: Liquidity And Liquidity Pools In Crypto Explained: Why It Matters For Traders
Conclusion
Cryptography is a data management system that can ensure the security of the data using different kinds of algorithms. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of how cryptography works will greatly benefit those handling online data. Data is not always protected or safe until these technology services exist. So if you want your data to stay secure and prevent it from reaching in the unwanted hands, use cryptography as the primary data security system.
Read and empower yourself with the help of this article and feel free to browse beyond this article if you are interested in cryptography and eager to know how it works in our digital space.
