Learn 7 basic encryption terms you need to understand, some of which are found in apps like WhatsApp
You probably know the word encryption, and you may have heard about how important it is, as well as how vital it is in keeping our network secure.
We use encryption a lot in our daily lives, such as using encryption when connecting to a Wi-Fi network, in WhatsApp, and when logging into online banking services, but many of the terms remain mysterious. Here is a list of seven basic encryption terms that you need to understand.
1. Plaintext
Let’s start with the simplest term we know, which is as simple as the others: plaintext is a clear message that anyone can read.2. Ciphertext Ciphertext
is the result of the encryption process. Plaintext appears encrypted as random strings of letters, making it useless.
The term cipher is another way of referring to the encryption algorithm that transforms plaintext, hence the term ciphertext.
3. Encryption Encryption
is the process of applying a mathematical function to a file that makes its contents unreadable and inaccessible – unless you have the decryption key.
For example, suppose you have a Microsoft Word document that you can secure with a password using the built-in encryption feature in Microsoft Office. The file is unreadable and inaccessible to anyone without the password.
Decryption
If encryption secures the file, decryption reverses the process and converts the ciphertext back to plaintext. Decryption requires two elements: the correct password and the corresponding decryption algorithm.
4. Cryptographic key
The encryption process requires a cryptographic key that tells the algorithm how to convert plaintext to ciphertext. The cryptographic key locks and unlocks the algorithm, allowing the encryption or decryption process to run.
It is worth noting that the encryption key is not a password. The encryption key is created as a result of using an algorithm, while the password is usually chosen by the user.
This part seems vague and not clear enough to us because we rarely interact specifically with the encryption key, while passwords are part of everyday life.
Sometimes passwords can be part of the encryption key generation process when the user enters a very strong password using all kinds of letters and symbols and the algorithm generates a key using its input.
5. Symmetric and Asymmetric Algorithms
In modern computing, there are two basic types of encryption algorithms: symmetric and asymmetric, both for encrypting data but each works in a slightly different way.
- Symmetric algorithm: Uses the same encryption key for both encryption and decryption. Both parties must agree on the algorithm key before the connection begins.
- Asymmetric algorithm: Uses two different keys: a public key and a private key. This allows for secure encryption during the connection without creating a pre-exchanged algorithm. This is also known as public key encryption.
The vast majority of online services we use in our daily lives implement some form of public key encryption.
6. HTTPS
HTTPS stands for HTTP Secure and is a security upgrade to the HTTP protocol that is now widely implemented. When you use an HTTPS connection, your data is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS), which protects your data during transmission.HTTPS creates long-term private and public keys which in turn are used to create a short-term session key. The session key is a symmetric key that is used only once and destroys the connection once you leave the HTTPS site (closing the connection and ending its encryption). When you revisit the site, you will receive another one-time session key to secure your connection.
The site must fully commit to offering an HTTPS connection to provide complete security to users. In fact, 2018 was the first year that the majority of websites on the internet started offering HTTPS connections instead of the standard HTTP protocol.
7. End-to-End Encryption End-to-end encryption
is one of the biggest buzzwords that is often thrown around. Social messaging platform WhatsApp started offering end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to its users in 2016 to ensure that their messages are private at all times.
E2EE encryption means that once you hit the send button, the encryption remains in place until the recipient receives the messages.
What’s going on here? Well, it means that the private key used to encrypt and decrypt your messages never leaves your device, ensuring that no one is spying on you.