The term “crypto” was first used in a series of articles published on the Grugq website, Although we had been using the term “crypto” to refer to cryptography for some time, in his series, Grugq was the first to articulate exactly what the term meant, and then specifically address our use of the term in particular. His use of the term to discuss the uses of cryptography, provides a more precise understanding of the issues surrounding this topic.
Using encryption, not only helps protect the information we store in our computers from outsiders, but also in large scale deployment. Encryption is used in any system that maintains data, whether it be a credit card machine, a computer or a laptop. The cryptography field has developed over many years, and as the field of software grows and evolves, many new methods are developed, each advancing the security, and simplicity of encryption. The encryption we know today is classified as symmetric, public key encryption, asymmetric encryption, digital signature, key management and encryption.By and large, we can categorize all forms of encryption into two categories: symmetric and asymmetric crypto. Both use key, and both are generally made to be used for digital systems. To de-crypt, or reveal the secret, to use these two techniques, one must possess the secret key, which is needed for that encryption process. In most cases, it is possible to find the right key without requiring a direct knowledge of the secret key, but there are times when the key itself must be extracted by human or machine.
Although we have seen a lot of progress in the field of encryption, still, encryption remains very complex and remains largely untapped for a large scale use. One area where crypto systems and their use are fairly common is the internet. For example, email, especially in the form of IM, is largely a series of encrypted messages sent between two users.
Be aware Be secure
There are also a number of security breaches on the internet, particularly those that happen from persons who know how to hack into the system. Cryptography has been around since the dawn of the internet, and the technology is continuously improving. As an organization, it’s important that we make sure that we are using the right tools for the right job.I have written this paper to help bring awareness to those interested in security, so that they can learn more about cryptographic algorithms, security, and also to give a voice to those of us who may not be well versed in the field or not comfortable discussing it with others. It’s important that all security-related companies and organizations that do business on the internet understand the challenges of crypto, and why they need to be familiar with the subject. Hopefully by providing a reference guide, a general introduction to crypto, we will educate security professionals and enable them to do their jobs better. So you want to know more about crypto, you should be comfortable with basic math skills. If you’re not up to that challenge, there are a few other things you should know about cryptography that will make things a little clearer. The public key crypto system is one way of encoding information, and is used in almost all cryptographic systems.A private key is used to encrypt information, but can be used for decryption purposes as well. The public key is used to de-crypt the information, and a person or a group of people can compute a signature based on this information, proving that they are the person who knows the key. These steps, together with the fact that it is a relatively secure system, provide a framework for the use of crypto in the modern world.
