Today’s digital world is an open book, with little to no privacy, and hackers are lurking around everywhere. Encryption technology provides security for digital information by keeping personal data hidden from prying eyes. Read on and learn the benefits of encryption.
What is Encryption?
Encryption is a process that transforms information into an unreadable format, called cipher or ciphertext. The encryption algorithm uses a key to convert the original data into an encrypted format. The encrypted data can be converted back to its original form with the help of the same encryption key. In order to decode and read the information, one needs access to the original encryption key and decryption algorithm. Encrypted information is also referred to as secure or scrambled data.
What are Cryptographic Algorithms?
Cryptographic algorithms are mathematical formulas used for encrypting and decrypting messages in a secured manner using keys. They are used in most modern computer systems for securing sensitive data such as credit card numbers , personal information, passwords, etc.
Cryptographic algorithms are classified into two categories:
Symmetric Algorithms:
Symmetric algorithms use the same encryption key for both encryption and decryption. Examples of symmetric algorithms include DES, 3DES, AES, RC4 and Blowfish.
Symmetric algorithms have certain limitations such as they require large keys to ensure security and a single key can be used only once for encrypting/decrypting data. Furthermore, if an attacker obtains access to the decryption key then all previously encrypted data becomes vulnerable to being attacked by this malicious party. Asymmetric Algorithms: These are also known as public-key cryptography because one algorithm is used for encryption while another one is used for decryption. Hence, encryption and decryption keys are different.
Public Key Cryptography :
This is a class of cryptographic system in which pairs of keys (public and private) are generated that cannot be deduced from one another, but in which it is easy to perform a computation that combines the two keys.
: This is a class of cryptographic system in which pairs of keys (public and private) are generated that cannot be deduced from one another, but in which it is easy to perform a computation that combines the two keys. One-Time Pad : A cryptosystem where plaintexts are encrypted using random keystreams, each of which is used only once. The security of this cryptosystem relies on the unbreakability of an ideal cipher called the one-time pad.
: A cryptosystem where plaintexts are encrypted using random keystreams, each of which is used only once. The security of this cryptosystem relies on the unbreakability of an ideal cipher called the one-time pad.
Pairwise Unicity : A property of some encryption schemes where each plaintext bit is enciphered to a unique ciphertext bit. For example, DES has pairwise unicity: each 8-bit plaintext block is enciphered to a distinct 8-bit ciphertext block (i.e., there are no unused bits in the output). This property is useful for applications that need to detect transmission errors because it guarantees the detection of errors.
: A property of some encryption schemes where each plaintext bit is enciphered to a unique ciphertext bit. For example, DES has pairwise unicity: each 8-bit plaintext block is enciphered to a distinct 8-bit ciphertext block (i.e., there are no unused bits in the output). This property is useful for applications that need to detect transmission errors because it guarantees the detection of errors. In order to achieve pairwise unicity, DES uses a 64-bit key.
PET (Programmable Electronic Transactor) is an early example of a smart card used for authentication and encryption. It was described in 1977 by James P. Anderson at Digital Equipment Corporation. PETs were phased out in favor of RSA SecurID tokens after 1998 when Digital Equipment Corporation was acquired by Compaq Computer Corporation, which decided to support the RSA algorithm instead of PETs. The term “smart card” was first used in 1967 in a proposal for the UK Labour Party’s ‘Callaghan-era’ ID card, which would have stored data on a chip embedded in the card.
The proposal was not taken up. The first smart cards were developed in the early 1970s by two British companies: Cambridge Microelectronics (now ARM Holdings) and Racal Instruments (now part of Thales Group). Both companies had been working on an advanced payment system for use with credit cards; Cambridge in collaboration with Barclays Bank and Racal with Lloyds Bank. Both systems went into production in 1974, but were both withdrawn from sale within 2 years because of technical problems and commercial issues. On each occasion, these failures caused the companies to reconsider their approach, and both went on to develop microprocessor-based systems using custom hardware.
The first microprocessor in a card was the National Semiconductor IMP-16, used by Barclays Bank in late 1976. This was followed by cards containing the Intel 8008 (1976), National Semiconductor PACE (1977) and Motorola 6800 (1978). Of these, the most successful is arguably the 6800 which was used for many years as a chip card used in many applications including mass transit and telephone prepaid calling. These early cards were normally only capable of storing small amounts of data, but they could be easily updated when new features were required or security improved. The major problem with this system was that it was very expensive and time-consuming to produce a new chip card.
In the late 1970s, Intel developed EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) technology which was capable of storing data in a form that could be erased by exposure to ultraviolet light. This meant that cards could be produced with permanent programming on them and then updated as required using an ultraviolet light source. The first use of this technology was for the Intel 8010 smart card. Although these cards were technically superior to their predecessors they were still expensive to produce and did not become popular with users or issuers until the 1990s when improvements in security made them more attractive.