Cryptographic algorithms and their applications

¶ … Security and Cryptographic Algorithms

Well before the advent of readily available digital computing technology, the ability to craft encrypted messages through the use of complex codes and ciphers, was highly prized by the governmental apparatus and the private sector alike. From the codes messages passed furtively throughout the courts of medieval Europe, to the infamous Enigma cipher machine which protected Nazi secrets in World War II, the concept of cryptography is nearly as old as the written word itself. Today, the field of information technology has developed to the point that even the most sophisticated encryption methods are vulnerable, and for those working as information security officers, shielding a company's invaluable data through the use of encryption has become an essential skill. Modern encryption methods rely on much of the same techniques used throughout history, with human readable plaintext being transformed into an unreadable format known as ciphertext upon transmission between two parties, in effort to prevent nefarious third-party intrusions.

While warring kings relied on invisible ink to hide the import of their messages, and the Nazi regime utilized the mechanical efficiency of rotors and gears, modern information security officers harness the tremendous power of cryptographic algorithms. Within the sub-field of cryptanalysis a growing focus on mathematical theory has spawned the development of intricately constructed algorithms, or governing systems used to precisely define a sequence of operations (Layton, 2007). Modern cryptographic algorithms are capable of creating computationally secured systems that, while they can be theoretically deciphered, are ostensibly secure from any feasible attack strategy. The most widely applied cryptographic algorithms employed by information security officers today typically fall under one of two categories: Symmetric-key cryptography and public key cryptography (Peltier, Peltier & Blackley, 2005). By differentiating between these two types of cryptographic-based data protection, it is possible to develop a more informed base of knowledge on this crucial aspect of information security.