Cryptography Compliance Audits

Simple Definition for Beginners:

Cryptography is the practice of protecting information by transforming it into a secure format that only authorized parties can read.

Common Use Example:

When you send a message using a messaging app, cryptography scrambles the message so only the person you’re sending it to can read it.

Technical Definition for Professionals:

Cryptography involves the study and application of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversarial behavior.

It encompasses various methods such as encryption, decryption, hashing, and digital signatures, designed to protect data integrity, confidentiality, and authenticity.

Key components and concepts of cryptography include:

• Encryption: The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext using an algorithm and a key, ensuring that only authorized parties can decrypt and read the information.
• Decryption: The process of converting ciphertext back into plaintext using an algorithm and a key, allowing authorized parties to access the original information.
• Symmetric Cryptography: A method where the same key is used for both encryption and decryption.
• Asymmetric Cryptography: A method where two keys are used, a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption, enabling secure communication without sharing the private key.
• Hash Functions: Algorithms that take input data and produce a fixed-size string of characters, which is typically a digest that uniquely represents the data.
• Digital Signatures: A cryptographic technique that uses a private key to sign data, providing a way to verify the authenticity and integrity of the data using the corresponding public key.
• Cryptographic Protocols: Standardized procedures that define the use of cryptographic methods to achieve security objectives, such as SSL/TLS for secure web communication.
• Key Management: The process of generating, distributing, storing, and destroying cryptographic keys to maintain the security of a cryptographic system.

Cryptography is essential in various applications, including secure communications, data protection, authentication, and ensuring the integrity of information.