What is Cryptography | Cryptography Explained | Cryptography Basics | Intellipaat

Summary

Cryptography is the study of secure communication techniques that protect data by ensuring only the sender and intended recipient can access the message's content. It encompasses three types: symmetric cryptography (same key for encryption and decryption), asymmetric cryptography (using a public and private key pair), and hash functions (irreversible one-way functions). The main objectives of cryptography include confidentiality, non-repudiation, integrity, and authenticity. Cryptography safeguards data in transit and at rest, protects against unauthorized access, and ensures secure communication, preventing eavesdropping and alteration.

Takeaways

• 😀 Cryptography is the study of secure communication techniques that ensure only the sender and intended recipient can read the message.
• 😀 The term 'cryptography' originates from the Greek word 'kryptos,' meaning 'hidden.'
• 😀 Encryption is the process of transforming plain text into cipher text and then back to its original form.
• 😀 There are three main types of cryptography: symmetric, asymmetric, and hash functions.
• 😀 In symmetric cryptography, the same key is used for both encryption and decryption.
• 😀 Asymmetric cryptography uses a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.
• 😀 Hash functions are one-way, irreversible functions that convert variable-length strings into fixed-length strings.
• 😀 The four main objectives of cryptography are confidentiality, non-repudiation, integrity, and authenticity.
• 😀 Cryptography protects data both in transit and at rest, ensuring confidentiality and security.
• 😀 SSL and TLS cryptographic technologies provide confidentiality, integrity, and protection against malicious eavesdropping and alterations.
• 😀 Cryptography prevents sensitive data from being deciphered and ensures system communication security.

Q & A

What is the definition of cryptography?

Cryptography is the study of secure communication techniques that allow only the sender and the intended recipient of a message to read its content. The term comes from the Greek word 'kryptos,' meaning hidden.

How does cryptography relate to encryption?

Cryptography is closely linked to encryption, which is the process of scrambling plain text into cipher text and then back again when it's received. Encryption is a key component of cryptography used to secure communications.

What are the three types of cryptography?

The three types of cryptography are symmetric cryptography, asymmetric cryptography, and cryptography using hash functions.

What is symmetric cryptography?

In symmetric cryptography, the same key is used for both encryption and decryption. Both the sender and recipient must have access to the same common key.

How does asymmetric cryptography work?

Asymmetric cryptography uses two separate keys for encryption and decryption. A public key can encrypt a message, and only the intended recipient can decrypt it with their private key.

What role do hash functions play in cryptography?

Hash functions are one-way, irreversible functions that safeguard data while preventing the recovery of the original message. They are used to convert a variable-length string into a fixed-length string.

What are the main objectives of cryptography?

The main objectives of cryptography are confidentiality, non-repudiation, integrity, and authenticity.

How does cryptography ensure confidentiality?

Cryptography ensures confidentiality by keeping both data in transit and data at rest secure and private. It protects information from unauthorized access.

What does non-repudiation mean in cryptography?

Non-repudiation ensures that the sender cannot deny sending a message, and the recipient cannot deny receiving it. This is achieved through authentication methods like digital signatures.

How does cryptography ensure data integrity?

Cryptography ensures data integrity by using methods like encryption and hashing to verify that data has not been altered during transmission or storage.