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Encryption and Its Uses in Communication

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Submitted By marcalle
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Encryption is a very important aspect of our daily lives. Everywhere we go and everything we do now involves some sort of encryption technology. From turning on our cars to using a card access to gain entry to our workplace, encryption is there. More specifically, encryption in communication is a vital component to everyday life. Without encryption, our lives would be much different and unsecure.
According to Oded Goldreich (2004), There are 2 main types of encryption: One is called Symmetric-key and the other is public-key encryption (pp 375-376). The Symmetric-key algorithm uses the same cipher for both encryption and decryption. Conversely, the public-key algorithm requires 2 separate keys. One of these keys encrypts the text or message and the other decrypts it. A big drawback to using the Symmetric-key system is that both parties must possess the single, shared key (Mullen & Mummert, 2007). The public-key system kept both parties having separate keys that neither even knew about, but could still decipher the message. Encryption is defined as the activity of converting data or information into code. There are a lot of different ways that we use encryption. Cell phones, web browsers, wireless access, and computer passwords are all different types of communication encryption. Encryption is definitely not a new technology. It has been used by militaries and governments to communicate secretly for years. Cell phones are a prime example of the encryption we use today. In fact, they can encompass all of the categories that are to be discussed. For a cell phone to work, you must authenticate to a cellular network operated by a carrier. This process is encrypted between you and the carrier. The encryption/decryption is done by something called a SIM card. These cards are fairly new technology, being first made in 1991 (G&D). The card allows the carrier to authenticate the cell phone to be on their network, and then allow the communication to continue whether voice or data. Web browsers are another very common occurrence of encryption and decryption. When you login to your webmail, many times it is secured by what is called an SSL certificate utilizing the TLS protocol. This uses the previously mentioned public-key encryption process. The same process is used when accessing online banking, shopping carts, or any other secured website. A one or two-way communication channel is opened up between you and the website. Should it be intercepted, the keys would not match and the data not usable. Wireless access is another thing that uses encryption. While first encryption protocols were easily cracked, the new standard of WPA2 was born and adopted (WiFi Alliance). When connecting to a WiFi router, you are asked for a password. This is what holds the encryption key. If a end user doesn’t possess the password, they cannot get onto the wireless network. If the password is not very complex or is shared, then it is easier to have a compromised network. Once you are on a compromised network, your computer and devices are vulnerable to attack. The attacker may be looking to steal credit card information, bank logins, or they may infect your computer with malicious software. Lastly, computer passwords are probably the most important part of encryption in communication. Since most people use a computer to communicate, having a strong password is important. Once someone is able to gain access to your computer, they may be able to pose as you and that can be detrimental to your name and your business. When choosing a password make it something easy to remember for only yourself and nobody else. Include special characters and numbers too! Technology is ever evolving and it is becoming more and more prevalent in everyday life. With the move of technology consuming even the most menial tasks, security is going to be needed. Encryption will be a big part of keeping everyone secure. A lot of businesses no longer have physical keys to doors, but rather have keyless proximity cards. These cards are able to be “read” without being physically inserted into a reading device, such as older barcoded cards or magnetic-stripe cards (Norman pp.57-57). Even common household devices such as refrigerators now have WiFi access. Thermostats also can be controlled via the internet now. As you can see, technology is ever evolving and growing. It doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all.
Encryption is a great tool that is protection the assets of many companies. Referring back to an access card, companies rely on these to protect their buildings from unwanted access. Encryption definitely protects digital assets too. Many software products that we use are protected by a license or authentication key. This key is a special encrypted phrase that grants access to the software. It can prevent people from stealing software without paying for it. While some companies are viewed as being greedy, in all honesty it does cost time and money to develop software and products that people want to buy. These products need to be secured in the interest of the company because it is in human nature to be dishonest, disloyal, and to be a thief in many cases.
Going back almost ten years, companies were looking for ways to prevent game stealing. A pioneer in the gaming industry, Valve, took action by suspending 20,000 users who had stolen their software (GameSpot). While this was an example of how encryption was used to catch thieves, encryption can also be used to prevent unauthorized access. This is the case in many industries such as the gaming and software industry. The cost of doing business with encryption is very small. In fact, the cost of not encrypting content and communications would surely outweigh the cost just making sure things are encrypted. Not a lot of equipment is needed, however subscriptions to various products may be required. You may need several SSL certificates, staff to integrate encryption techniques, various other servers, etc. It all depends on each individual business and what their needs truly are. A small mom and pop store isn't going to need access cards and they won’t need several websites with secure page setup. On the other hand, if you were to be pioneering Amazon.com, you would need a lot of things. Secure warehouses with surveillance systems, electronic access, secure inventory management, and other things of that nature. There are both good and bad things about encryption. From a web browser perspective, the bad part is that a website may be slow when you initially connect to it. This is because the SSL connection between the server delivering the content and your computer must establish a relationship (HttpWatch). The good is that your communication should be much safer being transmitted. It may not be 100% secured, but it will be much better off than without security. Another negative about encryption is that people will continue to hack it. Due to this, encryption will need to become stronger, and that will always leave vulnerabilities in equipment and software that does not update. The good part about this is that there are always people working for the “good” side and attempting to make communication secure. Regardless of how anyone feels, encryption is a part of our everyday lives. It always will be as long as technology keeps evolving and as long as people want to communicate securely with one another. As long as there are 2 people needing to get a message to each other and there is a possibility of someone intercepting it, encryption techniques will still be used. G&D | History of Giesecke & Devrient (n.d.). In G&D. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.gi-de.com/usa/en/about_g_d/company/history/history.jsp
Goldreich, O. (2004). Foundations of Cryptography (Basic Applications ed., Vol. 2). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Mullen, G., & Mummert, C. (2007). Finite fields and applications. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society.
Norman, T. L. (2011). Electronic Access Control. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Thorson, T. (2004, November 23). Valve suspends 20,000 Steam accounts. In GameSpot. Retrieved July 31, 2013, from http://www.gamespot.com/news/valve-suspends-20000-steam-accounts-6113916
Top 7 Myths about HTTPS. (2011, January 28). In HttpWatch. Retrieved July 19, 2013, from http://blog.httpwatch.com/2011/01/28/top-7-myths-about-https/
WPA2™ Security Now Mandatory for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™; Products (n.d.). In WiFi Alliance. Retrieved July 20, 2013, from http://www.wi-fi.org/media/press-releases/wpa2%E2%84%A2-security-now-mandatory-wi-fi-certified%E2%84%A2-products

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