Encryption (or Cryptography) is a form of cyber security created

by altering information before transmission. Only an authorized sender and receiver can encode or decode the information. It is an effective form of information security. Encryption has been around for centuries, most notably as a province of war rather than commerce. If intercepted by an enemy, it is unreadable. The method of security protects vital information from reaching enemy hands.

Over the years many people have made it their job to attempt to decode encrypted messages. If a person was successful they could gain access to the Nation’s most sensitive assets one of which could be the Nuclear launch codes, and the loss of intellectual property rights, this could lead to a catastrophic disaster. While most encryption attacks have proven themselves to be harmless attempts to exploit the weaknesses of  encryption methods, the implications of these attacks has demonstrated that more secure methods and techniques of encryption across networks is imperative in the near future.

The main purpose of encryption, as it pertains to any type of exchange of information across networks, is to ensure that the transactions will be executed with confidence that they will not be intercepted and viewed by anyone other than the intended receiver(s).

There are two primary ways to ensure encryption: Symmetric Encryption, or Asymmetrical Encryption. Symmetric Encryption is also known as secret-key encryption, this cryptosystems requires the sender and receiver to have the same secret key in order to decrypt the message/information. Asymmetrical Encryption is also referred to as Public Key encryption systems. The idea of public key encryption is that both parties, the sender as well as the receiver, have a pair of keys. The one key does not have to be kept secret and is called the public key. The two different keys held by the parties have different uses one is used for encryption and the other for decryption..

Our government takes encryption (cryptography) very seriously. In today’s society so much information is passed along using a secure network. Even the use of your phone is encrypted. Your phone uses the symmetrical system, where both the sender and receiver have the same key, this is how we are able to read one another’s text messages. Without encryption on your phone,  at any moment someone can openly see your  private messages. The dual purpose of encryption is for both end users to enjoy privacy. If you like to read more, like and share this article and follow my Facebook page. Thank you and Enjoy!