Cryptography is the science of encrypting data to protect it. Encryption systems promote privacy, security, and authentication. There are two types of cryptographic systems: symmetric key cryptography and asymmetric or public key cryptography. Public key encryption is implemented through SSL and TLS for secure web browsing.
Cryptography is the science or system of coding or encrypting data to protect it. The word encryption comes from the prefix en- meaning “to cause to be in” and the stem crypt which has been abstracted from words like cryptic and encryption so that encrypt may be similar to the existing word encode. The opposite of encrypting is decrypting, just like the opposite of coding is decoding. An encryption system is a standardized approach to encrypting and decrypting messages.
The use of an encryption system promotes privacy and security. Even if someone gets hold of the ciphertext, it won’t be easy to read. Additionally, data encryption helps ensure that data is not altered during transmission. In addition, encryption systems are set up for authentication, which means that the identity of the sender of the message and his right to perform certain types of activities, such as initiating a credit card purchase using a name and a particular accounts, are verified by the system. Finally, the encryption system offers a guarantee that the alleged sender was undeniably responsible for the origin of the message.
There are several important types of cryptographic systems used in network encryption. On the one hand, there is the symmetric key cryptography system, also known as secret key cryptography (SKC). This system uses a single key to encrypt and decrypt your data. The original symmetric key encryption system used the Data Encryption Standard DES), which has since been replaced by the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
The other primary type of cryptographic system is the asymmetric or public key cryptographic system, also known as public key cryptography (PKC). The Public Key method uses a pair of keys, one to encrypt data and a second one to decrypt it. This system uses digital certificates issued by a Certificate Authority (CA), which is a trusted third party, for verification.
The public key encryption system is implemented through both Secure Socket Layers (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS). Using TLS is what leads to a web page address of “https” rather than just “http” as a sign that the digital certificate for the page has been verified and that any data processed through the page will be encrypted. Browsers with good security will provide a series of warnings to users if a digital certificate hinders the validation check.
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