Encryption

=What is encryption? How does it work? When is it used?=

-The scrambling of data so that only an authorized user has access to it is known as [|encryption] and the unscrambling of data so that only a registered user has access to it is known as [|decryption]. Basically encryption is the scrambling of data into weird characters and decryption turns them back to the original data. It makes the data seem obscure, unreadable and meaningless to an unauthorized user.

-Encryption is usually done when a file is transferred from 1 location to another across a network. Data is first encoded at source and sent or transmitted to the destination where it is decoded both the sender and the receiver must use the same program to encrypt or decrypt. The data has to pass a mathematical formula, which is called an [|algorithm], which helps to convert the data to encrypted data called ciphertext. The original information/piece of data is called the ‘plaintext’ and the hidden information in other words the information only accessible to authorized users and block for the rest is called the ‘ciphertext’. Encryption is the process used to convert the plain text to the cipher text. Decryption, however, converts the cipher text to the plain text so it performs the reverse action. However this process, encryption will require 1 variable from the user that being the key which makes it nearly impossible for anyone to break the encryption. There are 2 types on encryption called symmetric and asymmetric ([|public key]).

Symmetric encryption is when you run a file through th program and then cxreate a key which scrambles the file. Firstly the algorithm divides the data into small chunks which ware called blocks. The letters are misplaced and the information in each block is converted to numbers. It compresses and expands the data and it runs those numbers through the mathematical formulas that thus include thew key. The encrypted file is then mailed to the recipient as well as the decoding key which is mailed separately. The decoding key could be a password or another data file. The recipient then uses the decoding key to unscramble the message, decrypting it in order to make the data readable but his/her computer must run the same encryption application. Both the recipient and the sender must run on the same software that encrypts date in order for this type of encryption to work out. This type of encryption is not safe since anyone could seize the key and decode and unscramble the data/messages. It is for its high speed that it is used for e-commerce transactions.

Asymmetric encryption requires 2 keys, a pulic and a [|private key]. The algorithm for as asymentric ecryption is totally different compared to the symmetric encrption’s algorithm. The text is converted to a large number and then raised to another large number and the remainder is obtained when it is divided by the third largest number. The public key is made avaible to anyone who sends you encrypted data/messages but the key can only encode the data, not decode it. When people send encrypted infromatiuon they encyrp it using the public key and as soon as I receive the encrypted information which is called the ciphertext, I use my private key to decode/decrypt it. This type of encrptiions is more complex yet much more secure.

Different encryption programs still use the same algorithms but in a different way but it doesn’t make any difference since the recipient uses the same way to decode the message that was used to encode it thus it avoids hassles.

-Encryption is used to keep a document confidential especially when it has to bypass unsafe paths to reach its destination that being the inbox of the recipient. It is used when creating the digital signature to verify the origin of the message or data. Encryption is used in electronic cash where there are tokens which have a serial number that can be decrypted by the bank when it accepts the token. If the token is used again then the employees will know since the user can be identified by the serial number with help from previous transactions. It can be used in [|digital signatures] since it is important to identify the sender. The secret decryption key is used to encrypt the message and the non-secret encryption key is used to decrypt it. Anyone can use the non-secret key to check the digital signature but the secret messages that are signed can only be obtained by digitally signing with the secret key and then using then encrypt it using the recipient’s non-secret key.

PC World-[|How it works:Encryption] [|An introduction to the use of encryption] [|]

Encryption at International School Dhaka (ISD)