EDUCBA

EDUCBA

MENUMENU
  • Free Tutorials
  • Free Courses
  • Certification Courses
  • 600+ Courses All in One Bundle
  • Login

What is Cryptography?

Home » Software Development » Software Development Tutorials » Network Security Tutorial » What is Cryptography?

What is Cryptography

Introduction to Cryptography

The term ‘Cryptography’ refers to an exercise and detailed learning of strategies in order to safeguard significant data as well as communication against the manifestation of adversaries.

As per the computer science is considered, cryptography is all about securing data and communication strategies which are derived from a network of rule-based calculations and mathematical theories known as ‘Algorithms’. This process results in the transformation of messages in distinct ways which are not easy to decode. These deterministic algorithms play a vital role in the generation of a cryptographic key, digital signing, and verification. This ultimately shields data, browsing on the internet. It also helps in protecting confidential communications like transactions through credit cards, email, etc.

Start Your Free Software Development Course

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

What is Cryptography?

The concept of preventing data and communications by embracing codes with an aim to create a platform whose information is intended should have the access to read and process it is called Cryptography. Here, the term ‘Crypt’ refers to ‘hidden/vault’, while the term ‘graph’ means ‘writing’. Cryptography is an application to achieve safe and secure information and communication processes from numerous suspicious as well as malicious third parties – adversaries. Here, encryption and a key are chosen to transfigure an input – plaintext into an output – ciphertext that is encrypted. A particular algorithm will always generate the same ciphertext by efficiently transforming the same plaintext, as many times as the same key is being used.

What is the Purpose and Advantages of Cryptography?

The traditional cryptography wasn’t that capable to quench the needs of the organizations when it comes to securing its data and other confidential issues. But the new-age cryptography has the capabilities to stand tall and perform proficiently with the following four objectives:

1. Privacy to its Best

The data can be acknowledged by any other individual for whom it was and is unintended. Securing sensitive data which even includes personal information of the people is one of the significances of using cryptography. This firmly holds the reins of privacy and other anonymity related issues, thereby mitigating the opportunities offered to the criminals and fake surveillance entities to decode the confidential information.

2. Maintaining Integrity

Without the detection of any suspicious activity, the data cannot be altered in storage or transit with respect to the sender as well as the intended receiver. Identifying confidential information, a hacker cannot only misuse it but can also drive it to commit a severe fraud. Cryptography enables professionals with the skillsets to modify encrypted information. This medication can be recognized by the recipients the moment it gets modified. This helps in maintaining integrity across an enterprise and empowers it to make a quick response to this cyber-crime.

Popular Course in this category
Cyber Security Training (12 Courses, 3 Projects)12 Online Courses | 3 Hands-on Projects | 77+ Hours | Verifiable Certificate of Completion | Lifetime Access
4.5 (5,591 ratings)
Course Price

View Course

Related Courses
CDN Training (2 Courses)OSPF Training Program (2 Courses)Penetration Testing Training Program (2 Courses)

3. Prominent Non-Repudiation

With cryptography, the source of the information can never deny its intentions regarding the creation/transmissions of the data, at a later stage.

4. Protecting Authentication and Data across Devices

Cryptography offers the sender and receiver with the ability to identify and confirm the identity as well as the origin/destination of the data. In today’s modern world, mobile devices have come a long way in becoming an essential part of humans by providing them with information transfer and storage features. Cryptography helps to protect and store information across all types of mobile devices, whenever transferred. Apart from all this, it also enables security procedures such as advanced authentication that helps to deter unauthorized customers.

Types of Cryptography

As cryptography evolves from the discipline of computer science, mathematics, electrical engineering and more, it is applied in various sectors like e-commerce, digital currencies, chip-based payment card and lot more! Based on functionality, there are different kinds of cryptography algorithms and keys that are discussed below:

1. Secret-Key Cryptography: Mainly used to maintain privacy and security, it uses a single key for encryption and decryption. This is also commonly known as symmetric-key cryptography. In this process, by using a key, the sender can encrypt a plaintext that goes as a ciphertext. At the receiver’s end, using the same key, the message is decrypted to plaintext.

2. Public-Key Cryptography: Mainly it is used for the purpose of authentication, Public-Key or asymmetric encryption is performed by using one key for encryption and a different key for decryption. In this scenario, the public key is used for encrypting messages and the receiver has the private key for decrypting the message.

3. Hash Functions: Mostly implemented for the purpose of message integrity, instead of keys, this functionality uses a mathematic algorithm to encrypt a message. The most common examples of hash algorithms in today’s environment are SHA-1 along with MD5.

Example

Let’s build a scenario to understand the cryptography concept. Assuming a person A has sent a text message to his friend B who lives in a different country via a public platform. However, a person named C hacks the security of the communication course and changes the message from A and redirects it to person B. This is where the concept of cryptography comes into the picture.

Now A uses a key to encrypt the same message and sends over the same public platform however this time no one would be able to decode the message as its encrypted. The receiver, B will be using his decrypting key to again transform the message into a readable format. And even if C hacks the communication channel midway, and he alters the message, B will get error information when he tries to decrypt the same message.

How is Cryptography Used?

The basic objective of cryptography is to secure the authenticity and integrity of a message. The concept of having electronic keys in a communication network is to ensure that the transmitted data reaches the receiver without any disruption. With the assistance of secured computer systems, the sender is now able to decipher the information with the cryptographic keys and algorithms.

Why do we Need Cryptography?

Whenever there is communication happening over an electronic network, the mandatory security requirements are fulfilled by cryptography. The essential elements that create the platform for cryptography are:

  • Privacy
  • Non-repudiation
  • Authentication
  • Integrity

Different cryptographic keys and algorithms are available to suit the needs of different actions. Financial transactions, security-related information, administration, law and more, wherever electronic communication takes place, cryptography has a major role to play.

How will this Technology Help you Grow your Career?

The concept of cryptography has boomed over the last 4-5 years. Major companies like Uber, eBay, GEICO and lot more are looking for professionals having expertise in this technology. Right starting from managers, developers, data scientists and more, this technology has a broad spectrum of employment avenues for young professionals.

Conclusion

Our world is advancing faster than ever before and it’s easy to lose sight of the foundational elements of technology that enable us to live our lives the way we do. Cryptography went from being a technique used to communicate with the military to be one of the cornerstones of the modern world. With innovations and advancements, cryptography has the potential to propel the world to new heights.

Recommended Article

This has been a guide to What is Cryptography. Here we discussed the concepts, uses, and types with the Advantage of Cryptography. You can also go through our other suggested articles to learn more:

  1. What is Cyber Security?
  2. What is Network Security?
  3. What is Blockchain Technology?
  4. What is Multithreading in Java?

Cyber Security Training (12 Courses, 3 Projects)

12 Online Courses

3 Hands-on Projects

77+ Hours

Verifiable Certificate of Completion

Lifetime Access

Learn More

1 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Primary Sidebar
Network Security Tutorial
  • Basics
    • Security Consultant Definition
    • Security Policies
    • What is Network Security
    • What is Data Security?
    • What is Cryptography
    • Cryptography Techniques
    • Cryptography Tools
    • Data Security Techniques and Privacy
    • Digital Signature Cryptography
    • Java Cryptography
    • Basics of Cybersecurity
    • What is Network Topology
    • Algorithms and Cryptography
    • HTTP Methods
    • Security Technologies
    • Security Architecture
    • Network Topologies
    • What is a Physical Address?
    • Logical Address
    • What is Storage Area Network?
    • Mobile Ad Hoc Network
    • What is Computer Networks?
  • Protocols
    • What is TCP Protocol
    • What is TCP/IP
    • How do IP Addresses Work?
    • Routing Protocols Types
    • What is Telnet
    • What is TFTP
    • What is DHCP
    • What is SFTP
    • Address Resolution Protocol
    • Internet Control Message Protocol
    • Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
    • Internet Security Protocols
    • SMTP Protocol
    • Types of Networking Protocols
    • User Datagram Protocol
    • Data Link Layer
    • Transport Layer Protocols
    • What Is Networking Protocols
    • TFTP
    • What is ARP
    • Basic Fundamental Of Networking
    • What is IPv4
    • What is IPv6
    • CIFS Protocol
    • What is SMB?
    • What is EIGRP
    • What is LLDP?
  • Routing
    • What is Router
    • Types of Routers
    • Dynamic Routing
    • Routing Algorithms
    • Routing Protocol
    • What is Routing
    • What is Static Routing
    • Important Types of DNS Servers (Powerful)
  • Attacks
    • Types of Network Attacks
    • What is Trojan Horse Virus
    • What is DOS
    • Types of DOS Attacks
    • DDos Attack Mitigation
    • Ransomware Attack  
    • Types of Cyber Attack
    • What is a Brute Force Attack
    • What is a Phishing Attack
    • What is Cyber Attack
    • What is DDoS Attack
    • What is Man In The Middle Attack
    • What is Man In The Middle Attack
    • What is Ransomware
    • What is Pharming
    • What is Phishing
    • What is CSRF
    • DNS Amplification Attack
    • Denial of Service Attack
  • Algorithm
    • IDEA Algorithm
    • MD5 Algorithm
    • Symmetric Algorithms
    • Diffie Hellman Key Exchange Algorithm
    • Digital Signature Algorithm
    • Encryption Algorithm
    • Advanced Encryption Standard
    • Asymmetric Encryption
    • ElGamal Encryption
    • HMAC
    • DES Algorithm
    • Brute Force Algorithm
    • SHA Algorithm
    • RSA Algorithm
    • What is Digital Certificate?
    • Certificate Revocation
    • RC5
  • Encryption/ Decryption
    • Encryption process
    • Public Key Encryption
    • Symmetric Key Encryption
    • What is Encryption
    • What is Decryption
    • Types of Cipher
    • Transposition Techniques
    • What is Steganography
    • One Time Pad
    • Steganography Techniques
  • Hosting
    • Types of Web Hosting
    • Free Web Hosting Sites
    • What is Hosting
    • What is VPS Hosting
    • What is Web Hosting
    • Types of Domain
    • VPN Applications for PC
    • Why we use VPN?
    • What is Virtual Host?
  • Firewalls
    • What is a Firewall?
    • Types of Firewalls
    • Firewall Devices
    • Firewall Uses
  • Advanced
    • Cryptosystems
    • Configuring DHCP Server
    • Block Cipher modes of Operation
    • TCP/IP Model
    • Types of Network
    • Types of Network Devices
    • Types of Network Topology
    • Types of Intrusion Prevention System
    • Types of Proxy Servers
    • Types of Websites
    • Types of NAT 
    • Mobile IP
    • Career in Automobile Design
    • What is TFS
    • What is NAT
    • What is OSI Model
    • Data Link Layer OSI Model
    • What is Cross Site Scripting
    • Applications of Sensors
    • ARP Packet Format
    • Asymmetric Information
    • Autoencoders
    • What is FTP Server?
    • IPS Tools
    • IPv4 Header Format
    • IPv6 Header Format
    • Authentication Header
    • Kerberos
    • Network Mapper
    • Network Scanning Tools
    • Network Mapping Tools
    • Network Access Control
    • Network Sniffer
    • Networking Commands
    • Networking Devices
    • Networking Strategies
    • Digital Certificate
    • What is a Digital Signature?
    • Digital Signature Softwares
    • Digital Signature Types
    • Digital Signature vs Digital Certificate
    • PKCS
    • What is FTP
    • FTP Commands
    • What is MIME?
    • What is Smart Card?
    • Networking Ports
    • Mutual Authentication
    • Password Authentication
    • Data Masking 
    • Authentication Tokens
    • Biometric Authentication
    • What is IP?
    • IPSec
    • Secure Electronic Transaction
    • What is CIDR
    • Static Binding and Dynamic Binding
    • What is SSL
    • PKIX
    • Public Key Infrastructure
    • What is Wireshark
    • SNMP Monitoring Tools
    • Network Analysis Tools
    • Server Monitoring Tools
    • Network Discovery Tools
    • Network Management Tool
    • SIEM Tools
    • OSINT Tools
    • Multiple Ping Tool
  • Interview Questions
    • Network Security Interview Questions
    • Networking Interview Questions
    • EIGRP Interview Questions

Related Courses

CDN Training

OSPF Certification Training

Penetration Training Course

Footer
About Us
  • Blog
  • Who is EDUCBA?
  • Sign Up
  • Corporate Training
  • Certificate from Top Institutions
  • Contact Us
  • Verifiable Certificate
  • Reviews
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  •  
Apps
  • iPhone & iPad
  • Android
Resources
  • Free Courses
  • Java Tutorials
  • Python Tutorials
  • All Tutorials
Certification Courses
  • All Courses
  • Software Development Course - All in One Bundle
  • Become a Python Developer
  • Java Course
  • Become a Selenium Automation Tester
  • Become an IoT Developer
  • ASP.NET Course
  • VB.NET Course
  • PHP Course

© 2020 - EDUCBA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE CERTIFICATION NAMES ARE THE TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

EDUCBA
Free Software Development Course

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you
Book Your One Instructor : One Learner Free Class

Let’s Get Started

This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link or continuing to browse otherwise, you agree to our Privacy Policy

EDUCBA

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you
EDUCBA Login

Forgot Password?

EDUCBA
Free Software Development Course

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

Special Offer - Cyber Security Training (12 Courses, 3 Projects) Learn More