Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties. It's an essential part of modern information security, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected from unauthorized access.

Types of Cryptography

  1. Symmetric Key Cryptography

    • Uses a single shared key for both encryption and decryption.
    • Example: AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).

  2. Asymmetric Key Cryptography

    • Uses a pair of keys: one for encryption and another for decryption.
    • Example: RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman).

  3. Hash Functions

    • One-way functions that convert data of any size into a fixed-size hash value.
    • Example: SHA-256.

Applications of Cryptography

  • Secure Communication: Ensuring that messages are transmitted securely over networks.
  • Data Integrity: Verifying that data has not been tampered with during transmission.
  • Authentication: Verifying the identity of the sender or receiver.

Learn More

For a deeper understanding of cryptography, check out our comprehensive guide on Cryptography Basics.

Cryptography Diagram