Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversarial behavior. It involves transforming readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) and back again.
Key Characteristics / Core Concepts
- Confidentiality: Ensuring only authorized parties can access information.
- Integrity: Guaranteeing data hasn’t been tampered with.
- Authentication: Verifying the identity of a sender or receiver.
- Non-repudiation: Preventing a sender from denying they sent a message.
- Availability: Ensuring authorized users can access data when needed.
How It Works / Its Function
Cryptography uses algorithms (mathematical functions) to encrypt and decrypt data. Encryption transforms data into ciphertext, while decryption reverses this process. The security relies on the secrecy of a key, a piece of information used by the algorithm.
Examples
- Secure online banking: Protecting financial transactions with encryption.
- Email encryption: Preventing unauthorized access to sensitive email content.
- Digital signatures: Verifying the authenticity of digital documents.
Why is it Important? / Significance
Cryptography is essential for securing digital communication and data in our increasingly interconnected world. It protects sensitive information from unauthorized access, ensuring privacy and trust.
Without cryptography, online activities like banking, shopping, and communication would be highly vulnerable to attacks and data breaches.
Related Concepts
- Encryption
- Decryption
- Cybersecurity