Encryption: Difference between revisions
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In [[cryptography]], '''encryption''' is the process of transforming [[information]] (referred to as [[plaintext]]) using an algorithm (called [[cipher]]) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a [[key (cryptography)|key]]. The result of the process is '''encrypted''' information (in cryptography, referred to as ciphertext). In many contexts, the word '''encryption''' also implicitly refers to the reverse process, '''decryption''' (e.g. “[[encryption software|software for encryption]]” can typically also perform decryption), to make the encrypted information readable again (i.e. to make it unencrypted). |
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Encryption has long been used by militaries and governments to facilitate secret communication. Encryption is now used in protecting information within many kinds of civilian systems, such as [[computer]]s, [[computer network|network]]s (e.g. the [[Internet]] [[e-commerce]]), [[mobile telephone]]s, [[wireless microphone]]s, [[wireless intercom]] systems, [[Bluetooth]] devices and bank [[automatic teller machine]]s. Encryption is also used in [[digital rights management]] to prevent unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted material and in software also to protect against [[reverse engineering]] (see also [[copy protection]]). |
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Encryption, by itself, can protect the confidentiality of messages, but other techniques are still needed to protect the integrity and authenticity of a message; for example, verification of a [[message authentication code]] (MAC) or a [[digital signature]]. Standards and [[cryptographic software]] and [[cryptographic hardware|hardware]] to perform encryption are widely available, but successfully using encryption to ensure security may be a challenging problem. A single slip-up in system design or execution can allow successful attacks. Sometimes an adversary can obtain unencrypted information without directly undoing the encryption. See, e.g., [[traffic analysis]], [[TEMPEST]], or [[Trojan_horse_(computing)|Trojan horse]]. |
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==Semantics== |
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This term is somewhat a misnomer, but is very commonly used as described above. More correctly, the term "encyphering" should be used (along with "decyphering" for decoding a cryptographically encoded message, when you know the cipher and key). "Decrypt" actually means to decode a message when you do ''not'' know the cypher and/or key (i.e., codebreaking), and "encrypt" is meaningless, strictly speaking. However, the common usage is so pervasive even in academic literature, that these distinctions are now generally lost. |
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The terms "encrypt" and "decrypt" are discouraged in international documents, since they tend to translate to "inter" (bury) and "disinter". |
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==References== |
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* Helen Fouché Gaines, “Cryptanalysis”, 1939, Dover. ISBN 0-486-20097-3 |
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* [[Ibrahim A. Al-Kadi]], “The origins of [[cryptology]]: The Arab contributions”, [[Cryptologia]], 16(2) (April 1992) pp. 97–126. |
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* [[Ibrahim A. Al-Kadi]], “Cryptography and Data Security: Cryptographic Properties of Arabic”, proceedings of the Third Saudi Engineering Conference. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Nov 24-27, Vol 2:910-921., 1991. |
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* [[David Kahn]], ''The Codebreakers - The Story of Secret Writing'' (ISBN 0-684-83130-9) (1967) |
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* [[Abraham Sinkov]], ''Elementary Cryptanalysis: A Mathematical Approach'', Mathematical Association of America, 1966. ISBN 0-88385-622-0 |
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== See also == |
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* [[Cryptography]] - term which encompasses encryption and other concepts used for hiding information |
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* [[Encryption software]] |
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* [[Cipher]] - algorithm used for encryption |
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* [[Key (cryptography)|Key]] - special knowledge needed for successful decryption |
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==External links== |
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{{Wiktionarypar|encryption}} |
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*[http://www.securitydocs.com/Encryption SecurityDocs Resource for encryption whitepapers] |
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*[http://www.xml-dev.com/lurker/list/crypto.en.html Accumulative archive of various cryptography mailing lists.] Includes Cryptography list at metzdowd and SecurityFocus Crypto list. |
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*[http://wsn.at/encrypt/ WebApplet Try out more than 20 encryption and hash algorithms] |
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*[http://www.secrefy.com/ Encrypt and decrypt private messages online] |
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{{Crypto navbox}} |
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[[Category:Cryptography]] |
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[[Category:Wireless]] |
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[[ar:تشفير]] |
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[[bs:Enkripcija]] |
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[[da:Kryptering]] |
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[[de:Verschlüsselung]] |
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[[et:Šifreerimine]] |
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[[es:Criptografía]] |
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[[eo:Ĉifrado]] |
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[[fr:Chiffrement]] |
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[[id:Enkripsi]] |
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[[is:Dulkóðun]] |
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[[ms:Penyulitan]] |
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[[nl:Encryptie]] |
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[[ja:暗号]] |
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[[pl:Szyfr]] |
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[[ru:Шифрование]] |
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[[simple:Encryption]] |
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[[sv:Kryptering]] |
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[[th:การเข้ารหัส]] |
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[[vi:Mã hóa]] |
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[[uk:Дешифрування]] |
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[[zh:加密]] |
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