What is cryptography?

Information protection is one of the most important issues within a company. A security breach could compromise all the sensitive information that the company may have, so the necessary security measures must be taken so that no confidential information is lost.

Cryptography is a set of techniques used to protect information so that only authorized persons can access it. The word cryptography derives from Greek in which crypto is hidden and graphic is writing. In short, we can say that it means hidden writing.

Cryptographic techniques transform data into codes, preventing unauthorized persons from reading them. Only those who have the “key” to the file can read the information.

The following are some of how cryptographic security works:

• SSL (simple encryption): This is the recommended security measure for websites, especially for those that request the sending of private customer information, such as personal data or bank details. This method validates the URL address of the site’s domain and protects the information.
• VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) is a type of private connection that uses a public network to access your company’s data. It contains connection encryption that prevents data interception and IP tracking. This is the most secure way to access company data on a public network.
• Email encryption: This type of cryptography allows the encryption of email signatures, guaranteeing the verification of the origin of emails sent and received. This type of protection is suitable for companies that need to guarantee secrecy in legal matters, where emails cannot be used as evidence.
• Symmetric key: The key is used by both the sender and the receiver, i.e. the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the data. The use of this method is not recommended for storing very important and confidential information.
• Asymmetric key: This method uses two keys: one private and one public. An encryption key is created and sent to whoever needs to send information (this is the public key). A key must be created for decryption (this is the private key). The secret private key must be sent only to the one who authorizes decoding the data.

We hope you found this blog interesting as it is important to understand what cryptography is and how this type of security has given a basis to how cryptocurrencies were expected to work.