Cryptography and Network Security

1262 Words3 Pages

Cryptography is the science of writing in secret code and is an ancient art. Cryptography has a long and fascinating history. Its use has been traced back to as early as 4000 years ago. Cryptography was used as a tool to protect national secrets and strategies. To understand the subject of cryptography, its history must also be explored. Cryptography exists in many different forms. There are many cryptographic algorithms. There are a numerous amounts of different types of cryptography. All these different types of cryptography have reasonable uses in the world. One key area where cryptography is used is in network security.

HISTORY & TYPES OF CRYPTOGRAPHY

The history of cryptography is outstanding. Cryptography has been dated back to 1900 B.C. when an Egyptian scribe used non-standard hieroglyphs in an inscription. Cryptography is the art of protecting information by transforming the data into an unreadable format. This is known as cipher text. The encrypted data can now only be deciphered, or decrypted by those who possess the secret key. A summary of this is that cryptography allows information to be transformed into a manner which the access to it can be limited by choice. Cryptography exists in many deferent forms. Various different kinds of cryptographic algorithms exist. There are several ways of classifying cryptographic algorithms.

SECRET KEY CRYPTOGRAPHY (SKC) – Uses a single key for both encryption and decryption

Secret Key Cryptography utilizes a single key for both encryption and decryption. The sender of the information uses the key to encrypt the plaintext and then sends the cipher text to the receiver of the information. The receiver must also have the same key to be able to apply it to...

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...ns of providing information security, but rather one set of techniques. The various types and methods of cryptographic algorithms are endless. The use of cryptography is spread out throughout our world, and has been used for several years. The use of cryptography will only expand as the use of technology and technological innovations increase.

Works Cited

"Cryptography." Government of Canada, Industry Canada, National Capital Region, Office of the Deputy Minister, Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications, Electronic Commerce Branch. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

"An Overview of Cryptography." An Overview of Cryptography. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

"Quantum Key Distribution." Quantum Key Distribution. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

"What Types of Cryptography Are There?" What Types of Cryptography Are There? N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

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