6.0 Digital Locksmithing - Cryptography and Encryption PowerPoint.docx

Cryptography

The art and science of protecting digital information by converting it into a secure format.

Encryption

The process of converting plaintext information into an unreadable format (ciphertext) to protect it from unauthorized access.

Plaintext

Data that is in its natural, readable format, which is vulnerable to interception.

Ciphertext

The encrypted output of plaintext data, rendered unreadable to anyone except the intended recipients.

Key

A piece of information that determines the output of a cryptographic algorithm, used in both encryption and decryption processes.

Decryption

The process of converting ciphertext back into plaintext using the cryptographic algorithm and the appropriate decryption key.

Symmetric Encryption

An encryption method where the same key is used for both encryption and decryption.

Asymmetric Encryption

An encryption method that uses a pair of keys; one for encryption (public key) and one for decryption (private key).

Hash Functions

Algorithms that take an input to produce a fixed-size string output, known as a 'digest', used for verifying data integrity.

Digital Certificate

An electronic document that verifies the identity of a person, device, or organization, crucial for secure online communications.

Non-repudiation

A property ensuring that a person cannot deny the authenticity of their signature on a document or the sending of a message.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

A framework that manages digital certificates and public-key encryption to secure communications and verify identities.

Brute Force Attack

An attack method that involves systematically trying every possible key combination to gain unauthorized access to encrypted data.

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack

An attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties, potentially altering the communication.

Quantum Cryptography

A method that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to secure data, promising theoretically unbreakable security.

Post-Quantum Cryptography

Cryptographic algorithms that are designed to be secure against potential quantum computer attacks.

Algorithm

A set of well-defined instructions or rules designed to perform a specific task, especially in the context of encryption.

Integrity

A key aspect of data security that ensures information remains accurate and unaltered during storage or transmission.

Availability

In the context of cybersecurity, it refers to ensuring that data and services are available to authorized users when needed.

Format-Preserving Encryption (FPE)

A type of encryption that keeps the format of the plaintext intact while encrypting it.

Homomorphic Encryption

An encryption method that allows computation on ciphertexts, enabling privacy-preserving data processing.