Cryptography

Cryptography is a technique of securing information and

communications using codes to ensure confidentiality, integrity and
authentication. Thus, preventing unauthorized access to information.
The prefix "crypt" means "hidden" and the suffix "graphy" means
"writing". In Cryptography, the techniques that are used 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 them.

These algorithms are used for cryptographic key generation, digital

signing, and verification to protect data privacy, web browsing on the
internet and to protect confidential transactions such as credit card
and debit card transactions.

Features Of Cryptography
The features of cryptography that makes it a popular choice in various
applications could be listed down as

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. Non-repudiation: The creator/sender of information cannot deny
his intention to send information at a later stage.
3. Integrity: Information cannot be modified in storage or transition
between sender and intended receiver without any addition to
information being detected.
4. Adaptability: Cryptography continuously evolves to stay ahead of
security threats and technological advancements.
5. Interoperability: Cryptography allows for secure communication
between different systems and platforms.
6. Authentication: The identities of the sender and receiver are
confirmed. As well destination/origin of the information is confirmed.

Working of Cryptography
As we all know that cryptography technique is use to convert plain text
into ciphertext. This technique is done by cryptographic key. Basically
cryptographic key is a string of characters which is used to encrypts
the data and decrypt the data.

Here,
"Hello" is a plaintext and convert into ciphertext "jknnq" with the help
of cryptographic key and then decrypt into "Hello".

Types Of Cryptography
There are three types of cryptography, namely Symmetric Key
Cryptography, Asymmetric Key Cryptography and Hash functions,
here's a detailed explanation below:
1. Symmetric Key Cryptography
Symmetric Key Cryptography is an encryption system where the
sender and receiver of a message use a single common key to encrypt
and decrypt messages. Symmetric Key cryptography is faster and
simpler but the problem is that the sender and receiver have to
somehow exchange keys securely. The most popular symmetric key
cryptography systems are Data Encryption Systems (DES) and
Advanced Encryption Systems (AES) .

Symmetric Key Cryptography

Example:
Data Encryption Standard (DES)
DES (Data encryption standard) is an older encryption algorithm that is
used to convert 64-bit plaintext data into 48-bit encrypted ciphertext.
It uses symmetric keys (which means same key for encryption and
decryption). It is kind of old by today’s standard but can be used as a
basic building block for learning newer encryption algorithms.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard):
AES s a popular encryption algorithm which uses the same key for
encryption and decryption It is a symmetric block cipher algorithm with
block size of 128 bits, 192 bits or 256 bits. AES algorithm is widely
regarded as the replacement of DES (Data encryption standard)
algorithm.

2. Hash Functions
Hash functions do not require a key. Instead, they use
mathematical algorithms to convert messages of any arbitrary
length into a fixed-length output, known as a hash value or
digest. Hash functions are designed to be one-way, meaning the
original input cannot be derived from the output. Given Below, Some of
the most widely used hash functions include:
SHA-1:
SHA-1 stands for Secure Hash Algorithm 1. It is a cryptographic hash
function developed by the National Security Agency (NSA) and
published by NIST in 1995. It was designed to ensure data integrity by
converting any input into a fixed-size 160-bit (20-byte) hash value.

SHA-256:
The SHA-256 algorithm belongs to the family of the SHA 2 algorithms.
It generates a fixed 256-bit (32-byte) hash value from input data of any
length. It is widely used in various security applications, including data
integrity verification, digital signatures, blockchain technology, and
password hashing, due to its strength and resistance to known
cryptographic attacks.
3. Asymmetric Key Cryptography
In Asymmetric Key Cryptography a pair of keys is used to encrypt and
decrypt information. A sender's public key is used for encryption and a
receiver's private key is used for decryption. Public keys and Private
keys are different. Even if the public key is known by everyone the
intended receiver can only decode it because he holds his private key.
The most popular asymmetric key cryptography algorithm is the RSA
algorithm.

Asymmetric Key Cryptography

Examples:

RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman):
RSA is an basic asymmetric cryptographic algorithm which uses two
different keys for encryption. The RSA algorithm works on a block
cipher concept that converts plain text into cipher text and vice versa.
Encryption in RSA

Applications of Cryptography
Cryptography has wide area of applications in the modern world,
where the technology is rapidly evolving. From authentication
measures to cryptocurrencies, cryptography is here to stay, these are
some of the most common applications of cryptography listed below:
Applications
 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.
 Digital Currencies: To protect 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 Cryptocurrencies: Cryptography is heavily used by
cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum to protect 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.
 End-to-end Internet 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.