Cryptography - Benefits & Drawbacks

Websites have now become global and information has passed through online form as bits and bytes. Sensitive information is now stored, processed and transmitted digitally in computer systems and open communication channels.

Because information plays such a central role, hackers target computer systems and open communication channels to steal sensitive information or compromise critical information systems.

Modern cryptography provides robust mechanisms for ensuring access to information by legitimate users and preventing the hacker's malicious intent Here in this chapter we discuss the benefits of cryptography, its limitations, its drawbacks, and the future of cryptography.

So let us first see cryptography advantages or Benefits:

Benefits of Cryptography

Below are some Benefits of Cryptography which you need to know:

• Confidentiality − Cryptography is useful to keep our messages and data private. It changes the form of original data in an encoded form so only the intended recipient can understand. Suppose you and your colleague are discussing about your project with the help of a messaging app so definitely your conversation is private you do not want to disclose it to third person or hackers. So cryptography helps you to change that message into a secret code so that only you and your colleague can understand.

• Security − With the help of cryptography we can protect our data or information from being tampered or modified with by an unauthorized identity. So cryptography also work like a locker room. It keeps our most valuable information secure from thieves and hackers. Even if somebody try to read data or change your data, cryptography will make it really hard for them to do so without the proper key.

• Authentication − Cryptography is also useful to confirm that a message is coming from the authorised person which ensures it is not fake or spam. So when you receive a message it is very important to know it is really from the authorised person. Cryptography adds an extra layer of security which stamp to messages that proves the person who sent the message is genuine. It is just like a secret handshake that only you and your colleague know.

• Integrity − Cryptography makes sure that data cannot been changed without permission means it also increases reliability. It ensures that the message you receive is the same as the message that was sent without any changes made during the way of transmission. It helps you trust the information you get.

All of these basic services provided by cryptography have enabled efficient and effective operation of networks using computer systems.

Limitations of Cryptography

Cryptography is really good practice to use in your applications but sometimes it is not perfect. There is always a chance that unwanted resources can break the security and get the sensitive information. So let us talk about the limitations of cryptography in the below section:

• Cryptography is very much dependent on Key Management. Well if you lose the keys(public and private key) or someone else steal the keys, your sensitive data may not be safe anymore. So it is very important to keep track of keys.

• There is also potential for Human Error. As cryptography relies on people using it correctly. If developers make a mistake in setting it up or using it. It can leave a loophole for hackers or attackers to exploit the security.

• It is not easy to manage the resource used in the cryptography. Encrypting and decrypting messages may take computer power and time. So if you are encrypting a large amount of data then it can slow things down.

• Even if the cryptography is strong but it can be vulnerable in implementation. If it is not correctly implemented in software or systems it can leave loopholes for attackers to come in the system. This means the cryptography needs to be carefully designed and tested.

• It does not protect against all threats. As cryptography is a great way to protect data in transit or at rest it cannot secure against all kinds of threats. For example it cannot stop somebody from taking your password or stealing your device when it is unlocked.

Overall, cryptography is a powerful tool for keeping information secure, while it is not always good. It is important to use it properly and understand its limitations.

Drawbacks

In addition to the four basic elements of information security, there are other issues that affect the effective use of information −

• Strictly encrypted, authenticated, and digitally signed information can be difficult to reach even for a legitimate user at the critical decision-making moment can attack a network if computer system and has it disabled by an attacker.

• Encryption cannot be used to ensure high availability, one of the key elements of information security. Additional strategies are needed to protect against threats such as denial of service or outage of the information system altogether.

• Another key requirement for information security for access options also cannot use cryptography. Similarly, business policies and procedures must be developed.

• Cryptography does not protect against vulnerabilities and threats resulting from incorrect policies, procedures, and procedures. These need to be resolved by putting in place appropriate policies and backup plans.

• Cryptography is expensive. Cost in time and money.

• The addition of cryptographic techniques to information processing leads to delays.

• Implementing public key cryptography requires setting up and maintaining a public key infrastructure that requires a nice budget.

• The security of a cryptographic method depends on the computational complexity of the mathematical problems. Any computation in solving such mathematical problems or in increasing computing power can facilitate encryption methods.