Without thinking twice and from the sound of the word "Cryptography," I'm sure if you were asked to give a definition, your answer would be to encrypt, like to hide something securely, and yes, you're correct. A more sophisticated description would be cryptography is the use of codes to secure information, data, and computer networks. Have you ever heard of "Cipher" or "Decipher"? Or have you ever seen a movie where the tech guy said, "I need to decipher this code as soon as possible"? Yeah, you must have seen one of those, but you might not have understood what he meant. What he was simply saying was, " I need to convert this code into a layman's language as soon as possible."
Ciphers are written codes programmed to securely hide information from people who are not authorized to access it. So, a Cipher is a raw material while cryptography is the product. Without the codes, you cannot encrypt any information from unauthorized access. Encryption works by using algorithm strategies to scatter vital information in a meaningful way. This encrypted information can be unlocked by a code, that is, its key, and it's only then that the information can be accessed properly. You can also read this article freely because it's not encrypted.
Brief History of Cryptography
Right from the start, human beings have always been very nosy, trying to find out what does not concern them, even as far back as the Roman and Egyptian empires when encryption started. But then, it was not called Encryption in Egypt. It was known as "Hieroglyph." The writing on these Hieroglyphs were coded secrets used by the scribes to communicate on behalf of the king. After a while, some of their scholars started using mono-alphabetic substitution ciphers. The Roman's method was "Ceaser Shift Cipher."
Slowly, Steganography crept into the world, and it is still being used to this day, at least in movies. In Steganography, the unauthorized individual is unaware of the fact that what he is holding contains information. If you have seen the series "Arrow" by DC, you should be able to remember the scene where Oliver first brought out his father's book in a quest for justice, but the book was empty. He had to put the book's pages above a fire, and the book became filled with names of people who had destroyed his city. That is a perfect illustration of Steganography.
Methods of Cryptography
In this modern era where technology is performing wonders, cryptographers employ technology-driven techniques to protect sensitive information belonging to the private and public sectors of the government, from credit card information to work records. Even though these methods are aimed at the same thing, securing information from unwarranted access, they have different approaches, and that is what you are about to learn. Don't worry, I'll try to explain it as easily as possible. Let's get right into it.
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Sometimes called Rijndael, it is an encryption method that employs algorithms or block ciphers that match the normal language typed. For example, if the information is "Kevin is a boy," the block cipher or algorithm would also be "Kevin is a boy." Rijndael is the foundation of several security tactics that use names familiar to the public sector. Applications like WinZip and Virtual Private Networks make use of AES to secure their data. Even your Facebook and WhatsApp do too. To be sure, go to your WhatsApp, click on "Account," then tap "Security." You'll see that WhatsApp keeps your conversation with your contacts secure through end-to-end encryption.
Private Key Encryption
This is another technique used in cryptography, and it works very simply. All you need is one bit of code, and alas, you've got the information you're looking for. It is a very efficient method because it uses only one code. Still, you need to protect this one key from leaks or else, your data will be wiped.
Public Key Encryption
This encryption technique is more complicated than private key encryption because it needs two types of keys before access to data can be granted. The first is the public key, which can be distributed among everyone, while the other is the private key which is always withdrawn from the public. Some refer to it as "The digital signature."
Hash Functions
This encryption technique works by converting information to the form of a string of letters and numbers. This string is usually called a digital fingerprint, hash value, or checksum, and never forget that its length is always uniform (Not hard to spot). Two codes can't be identical under this technique.
How is Cryptography relevant to Cryptocurrency?
Do you know why the Blockchain network is one of the most secure networks in the world? Do you know why you can process transactions seamlessly on your crypto platforms? Again, I ask, do you know why your crypto assets are secure in your wallet and not wiped out? No? Well, it's because of Cryptography. You see, before Bitcoin was placed on the Blockchain network along with other cryptocurrencies, expert cryptographers were hired to make sure that you wouldn't put your Bitcoin worth $10m in your wallet today and wake up tomorrow to see nothing. Other benefits of Cryptography include Authenticity, Confidentiality, and Non-repudiation.
What does the future hold for Cryptography?
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is one of the latest Cryptographic inventions by developers, but we have not been able to fully comprehend its pros and cons. For sure, we know it drastically reduces the time taken for standard encryption and decryption, thereby giving passage to more significant amounts of data with the same level of security. This is not the only invention; there are still others, but they have to be tested and trusted before being released into the world at large.
In essence, the future is blissful because, without encryption, information would be flying anyhow, and it would be disastrous. It could even lead to a state of anarchy throughout the world, and this should be avoided by any means possible.