Suggest a new Definition Show
Proposed definitions will be considered for inclusion in the Economictimes.com Definition: The conversion of encrypted data into its original form is called Decryption. It is generally a reverse process of encryption. It decodes the encrypted information so that an authorized user can only decrypt the data because decryption requires a secret key or password. Description: One of the reasons for implementing an encryption-decryption system is privacy. As information travels over the Internet, it is necessary to scrutinise the access from unauthorized organisations or individuals. Due to this, the data is encrypted to reduce data loss and theft. Few common items that are encrypted include text files, images, e-mail messages, user data and directories. The recipient of decryption receives a prompt or window in which a password can be entered to access the encrypted data. For decryption, the system extracts and converts the garbled data and transforms it into words and images that are easily understandable not only by a reader but also by a system. Decryption can be done manually or automatically. It may also be performed with a set of keys or passwords. There are many methods of conventional cryptography, one of the most important and popular method is Hill cipher Encryption and Decryption, which generates the random Matrix and is essentially the power of security. Decryption requires inverse of the matrix in Hill cipher. Hence while decryption one problem arises that the Inverse of the matrix does not always exist. If the matrix is not invertible then the encrypted content cannot be decrypted. This drawback is completely eliminated in the modified Hill cipher algorithm. Also this method requires the cracker to find the inverse of many square matrices which is not computationally easy. So the modified Hill-Cipher method is both easy to implement and difficult to crack.
Related NewsData encryption is a common and effective security method—a sound choice for protecting an organization’s information. However, there are a handful of different encryption methods available, so how do you choose? In a world where cybercrimes are on the
rise, it’s comforting to know that there are as many methods available to protect network security as there are ways of trying to penetrate it. The real challenge is deciding which techniques an internet security expert should employ that best suits their organization’s specific situation. Data encryption is a method of protecting data by encoding it in
such a way that it can only be decrypted or accessed by an individual who holds the correct encryption key. When a person or entity accesses encrypted data without permission, it appears scrambled or unreadable. Data encryption is the process of converting data from a readable format to a scrambled piece of information. This is done to prevent prying eyes from reading confidential data in transit. Encryption can be applied to documents, files, messages, or any other form of
communication over a network. In order to preserve the integrity of our data, encryption is a vital tool whose value cannot be overstated. Almost everything we see on the internet has passed through some layer of encryption, be it websites or applications. Noted antivirus and endpoint security experts at Kaspersky define encryption as “… the conversion of data from a readable format into an encoded format that can only be read or processed after it's been decrypted.” They go on
to say that encryption is considered the basic building block of data security, widely used by large organizations, small businesses, and individual consumers. It’s the most straightforward and crucial means of protecting information that passes from endpoints to servers. Considering the elevated risk of cybercrime today, every person and group that uses
the internet should be familiar with and incorporate basic encryption techniques, at the very least. The data that needs to be encrypted is termed plaintext or cleartext. The plaintext needs to be passed via some encryption algorithms, which are basically mathematical calculations to be done on raw information. There are multiple encryption algorithms, each of which differs by
application and security index. Apart from the algorithms, one also needs an encryption key. Using said key and a suitable encryption algorithm, the plaintext is converted into the encrypted piece of data, also known as ciphertext. Instead of sending the plaintext to the receiver, the ciphertext is sent through insecure channels of
communication. Once the ciphertext reaches the intended receiver, he/she can use a decryption key to convert the ciphertext back to its original readable format i.e. plaintext. This decryption key must be kept secret at all times, and may or not be similar to the key used for encrypting the message. Let’s understand the same with an example. Let us understand the work process with the help of an example. ExampleA woman wants to send her boyfriend a personal text, so she encrypts it using specialized software that scrambles the data into what appears to be unreadable gibberish. She then sends the message out, and her boyfriend, in turn, uses the correct decryption to translate it. Thus, what starts out looking like this: Fortunately, the keys do all the actual encryption/decryption work, leaving both people more time to contemplate the smoldering ruins of their relationship in total privacy. Next, in our learning about effective encryption methods, let us find out why we need encryption. Why Do We Need Data Encryption?If anyone wonders why organizations need to practice encryption, keep these four reasons in mind:
Also Read: Bridging The Gap Between HIPAA & Cloud Computing Let us now find out the important types of data encryption methods. What are the 2 Types of Data Encryption Techniques?There are several data encryption approaches available to choose from. Most internet security (IS) professionals break down encryption into three distinct methods: symmetric, asymmetric, and hashing. These, in turn, are broken down into different types. We’ll explore each one separately. What is the Symmetric Encryption Method?Also called private-key cryptography or a secret key algorithm, this method requires the sender and the receiver to have access to the same key. So, the recipient needs to have the key before the message is decrypted. This method works best for closed systems, which have less risk of a third-party intrusion. On the positive side, symmetric encryption is faster than asymmetric encryption. However, on the negative side, both parties need to make sure the key is stored securely and available only to the software that needs to use it. What is the Asymmetric Encryption Method?Also called public-key cryptography, this method uses two keys for the encryption process, a public and a private key, which are mathematically linked. The user employs one key for encryption and the other for decryption, though it doesn’t matter which you choose first. As the name implies, the public key is freely available to anyone, whereas the private key remains with the intended recipients only, who need it to decipher the messages. Both keys are simply large numbers that aren’t identical but are paired with each other, which is where the “asymmetric” part comes in. What is Hashing?Hashing generates a unique signature of fixed length for a data set or message. Each specific message has its unique hash, making minor changes to the information easily trackable. Data encrypted with hashing cannot be deciphered or reversed back into its original form. That’s why hashing is used only as a method of verifying data. Many internet security experts don’t even consider hashing an actual encryption method, but the line is blurry enough to let the classification stand. The bottom line, it’s an effective way of showing that no one has tampered with the information. Now that we have gone through the types of data encryption techniques, let us next learn the specific encryption algorithms. What is an Encryption Algorithm?Encryption algorithms are used to convert data into ciphertext. By using the encryption key, an algorithm can alter data in a predictable manner, resulting in the encrypted data appearing random, but it can be converted back into plaintext by using the decryption key. Best Encryption AlgorithmsThere’s a host of different encryption algorithms available today. Here are five of the more common ones.
Do You Want to Learn More About Cybersecurity?There’s a lot to learn about cybersecurity, and Simplilearn offers a great selection of valuable courses to help you enter this challenging field or improve your existing knowledge by upskilling. For instance, if you want to become an ethical hacker, and have a career testing network systems, check our CEH certification course. Or check out some enterprise-level security training courses such as CISM, CSSP, CISA, CompTIA, and COBIT 2019. If you can’t decide between the above courses, why not take a handful of them in one convenient program? The Cyber Security Expert Master’s Program teaches you the principles of CompTIA, CEH, CISM, CISSP, and CSSP. Have a look at the video below that explains what is encryption, how encryption and decryption works with simple step by step explanation, types of encryption and more. Do You Want to Become a Network Security Professional?If you’re ready to take those first steps on the path to becoming a network security professional, then you should start with Simplilearn’s CISSP certification training course. The course develops your expertise in defining IT architecture and in designing, building, and maintaining a secure business environment using globally approved information security standards. The course covers industry best practices and prepares you for the CISSP certification exam held by (ISC)². You get over 60 hours of in-depth learning, the requisite 30 CPEs you need for taking the certification exam, five simulation test papers designed to help you prepare for the exam, plus an exam voucher. Whether you choose self-paced learning, the Blended Learning option, or a corporate training solution, you will get the benefits of Simplilearn’s expert training, and be ready to embark on that challenging and rewarding network security career! FAQs1. What is data encryption?Data Encryption is the process of protecting and securing data by encoding it in such a way that it can only be accessed or decrypted by someone who has the encryption key. In Data encryption, the data is scrambled before it is sent to the person who can unscramble it using a key. 2. What are the 2 types of data encryption?The two types of data encryption methods are Symmetric Encryption and Asymmetric Encryption. Symmetric encryption is also known as private-key cryptography or secret key algorithm and requires both the parties of sender and receiver to have access to the same key to decrypt the data. Asymmetric Encryption, also known as public-key cryptography, uses two separate keys for encryption process. One key is a public key and the other is a private key which are linked and used for encryption and decryption. 3. What is encryption used for?Encryption is used to protect data being transmitted. This ensures data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands of cybercriminals, hackers, internet service providers, spammers, and even government institutions. Any time you access ATM or sending messages across devices such as Snapchat, these messages are encrypted to ensure that no-one other than the person it was sent to can access it. 4. Insights on data encryption?There is a massive amounts of data being stored on cloud servers and being transmitted everyday. It is virtually impossible to conduct day-to-day operations without storing or transmitting these copious amounts of data. Data encryption software ensure that the data is secured and transmitted safely from one channel to another. 5. How data encryption worksThe raw data is in plain text, which means it can be read legibly. This data is then transmitted through encryption algorithms that scramble the data from ‘Hi! How are you?’ to ‘A#$*Y*&%($Y#*%Y%*’. This data is then transmitted across to the receiver, which then goes through an decryption process before is visually presented as plain text to the receiver. 6. Can encrypted data be hacked?Yes, encrypted data can be hacked. However, depending on the level of encryption applied on the data, the difficulty level increased. 7. How to implement Data encryption?Before you start implementing Data encryption, you need to understand and define your security needs. The level of encryption will depend on the level of security required by you and your organization. Choose the right encryption tools that suit your needs. Create and implement a encryption strategy. Learn more in detail about data encryption with our Cyber Security Expert course. What do you called the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge?Encryption is the process of transforming information (referred to as plaintext) using an algorithm (called a cipher) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. Data can be encrypted in two ways: at rest and in transit.
What is the process of transforming encrypted data back to its readable form?Decryption is the process of converting an encrypted message back to its original (readable) format. The original message is called the plaintext message. The encrypted message is called the ciphertext message.
What is the process of converting data into unreadable format before it is distributed over a network?Encryption is the method by which information is converted into secret code that hides the information's true meaning. The science of encrypting and decrypting information is called cryptography. In computing, unencrypted data is also known as plaintext, and encrypted data is called ciphertext.
What is a decryption algorithm?This algorithm type is used for encrypting data to encrypt and decrypt various parts of the message, including the body content and the signature. Data decryption algorithms specify the algorithm uniform resource identifier (URI) of the data encryption method.
|