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Cryptography can provide greater levels of security in Internet commerce,
a requirement for the growing number of Internet transactions that take
place every day.
The Internet without cryptography is like a postal system where postcards
are sent without signatures. All the sent information can pass through
many hands, each of which can read, delete or modify the content. In
addition, the sender can deny sending the message and the receiver has
no guarantee of who actually sent the postcard. This kind of postal
system is not suitable for transactions on a similar model. However,
by adding appropriate cryptography to a network the process becomes
analogous to adding envelopes and signatures to the postal system.
| Cryptography
provides four basic benefits: |
| Confidentiality:
It is difficult to open an envelope and read the content without
being detected. |
| Authentication:
Knowledge of who sent the message. |
| Non-repudiation:
The sender cannot deny sending the message if there is a specimen
signature (certificate). |
| Integrity:
In addition, if the message is written like a bank check with all
blank spaces lined through, we obtain integrity, i.e. we can detect
changes to the message. |
Cryptography provides computer networks with the ability to transact
business at a level of security equivalent to that used in conventional
face-to-face transactions but at the speed of e-commerce. There are
different types of cryptography that can be applied that are appropriate
for different situations. For example, a post-publication company annual
report can be digitally signed to provide authentication, integrity
and non-repudiation, while a pre-publication version, which is financially
sensitive, can be encrypted to provide confidentiality. There are two
basic types of cryptography: Secret-key and Public-key
Where Cryptography Fits?
Cryptography is available to users through cryptographic applications
such as Web browsers, Web servers, financial applications, etc. These
applications are supported by cryptographic protocols and services such
as SSL and digital signature. These services are, in turn, supported
by fundamental mechanisms including RSA or DES encryption.
There is a relatively small set (perhaps 20) of commercially significant
mechanisms, which are required to enable complex services and applications.
Typically, for very high security or very high-speed applications,
the basic mechanisms - and sometimes some of the services - are executed
on special purpose security hardware.
There is a current trend towards putting higher-level protocols and
services onto security hardware, referred to as security appliances,
such as SSL appliances.
Read more about the types
of cryptography and security
of modern cryptography.
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