fundamentals, secret key encryption

asymmetric encryption

involves using two keys, one key (public key) to encrypt data and the other key (private key) to decrypt the encrypted data; also called public key encryption

symmetric encryption

invloves using one shared key to encrypt and decrypt data; also called secret key encryption

block encryption

involves breaking down plaintext messages into fixed size blocks before converting them into ciphertext using a key

stream encryption

an encryption algorithm that breaks a plaintext message down into single bits and encrypts 1 bit of plaintext at a time

rainbow attack

invloves mapping the hashed values back to the original message from a precomputed lookup “rainbow” table

dictionary attack

the process of systematically entering every word in a dictionary as a password to see if the hashed code matches the one in the password file

cipher block chaining

involves adding an initialization vector to the first block of the plaintext and combining the output with the next plaintext block until the process is repeated through the full chain of blocks

man in the middle (MITM) attack

when an attacker positions himself in a conversation between two parties in order to eavesdrop or impersonate on of the parties

salting

the process of adding an initialization vector to the ciphering process to change its operation and ensure that the ciphertext does not give the original plaintext when played back

entropy

measuring the amount of unpredictability, and in encryption it relates to the degree of uncertainty of the encryption process