Security and Encryption: The Big Question ?
April 13, 2015
Shah Sheikh (1294 articles)
Share

Security and Encryption: The Big Question ?

Why Encryption …?

In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorized parties can read it. Encryption doesn’t prevent hacking but it reduces the likelihood that the hacker will be able to read the data that is encrypted. In an encryption scheme, the message or information, referred to as plaintext, is encrypted using an encryption algorithm, turning it into an unreadable ciphertext.This is usually done with the use of an encryption key, which specifies how the message is to be encoded. Any adversary that can see the ciphertext should not be able to determine anything about the original message. An authorized party, however, is able to decode the ciphertext using a decryption algorithm, that usually requires a secret decryption key, that adversaries do not have access to. For technical reasons, an encryption scheme usually needs a key-generation algorithm to randomly produce keys. By encrypting data and information you ensure ‘confidentiality’ of the data transmission from one location to another; by adding ‘integrity’ and ‘authenticity’ you can maintain information triage by ensuring data is not tampered with whilst in transit whilst ensuring the data is coming from a legitimate source.