Encrypting Information

• Messages can be encrypted for transmission.
  • The data will appear garbled to an eavesdropper.

• There are numerous encryption methods with varying degrees of security.
  • Simple ciphers, such as the one devised by Julius Caesar, are easily decrypted by third parties.
  • Encryption using code books is more secure, but requires both parties to have identical copies of the code books.
  • Symmetric key encryption can be very secure but requires a secure mechanism for key exchange.
  • Asymmetric, or public key encryption, provides a high degree of security and does not suffer from key exchange problems.
    • But, it requires a certificate.

What is public key encryption?

---

---

© 2006 John Michael Pierobon

Notes