Encryption, its Algorithms and its Future

Encryption is a method to protect the incoming message by coding the plain text into an encoded one called the cipher text. The main ideology behind encryption is to protect the data transmitted to be secured from any type of attack. There are typically two types of encryptions namely symmetric and asymmetric encryption methods. In this, the encryption algorithm comes under the components of encryption. Decryption is a process of getting the plain text from the encoded text using an encryption key.

Encryption

Cryptography involves both encryption and decryption, to prevent the data from unauthorized access. The Components of Encryption are −

• Plain text (The message which is plain as the host sends).

• Encryption Algorithm (The Process that makes the Encryption Stronger and More Reliable).

• Encryption Key (The key for making the plain text).

• Cipher text (It produces the plain text along with the encryption key).

Symmetric Encryption

The Source code is encoded using a secret or private encryption key.

Asymmetric Encryption

The Source code is encoded using a public encryption key.

Encryption Algorithm

Various algorithms are −

1. Triple DES

It is a type of symmetric algorithm and traditionally this Triple DES algorithm is the most preferred one to convert the Data Encryption Standard (DES) into a cipher. When using this algorithm, makes hackers detect the plain text.

For encrypting the data, it uses three keys of length 56 bits each which adds up to 168 bits. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is the advanced algorithm over the triple DES.

2. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

AES Encryption is a type of symmetric algorithm which is primarily used to protect the system from attackers. This algorithm is used even now by the American Government to encrypt the data and there are three encryption keys used of different sizes. The sizes of the encryption keys are 128, 192, and 256-bit lengths.

It provides a major advantage in that it will have fast encryption and decryption of data and is the best among the encryption algorithm which consumes less memory.

3. Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) Security

In this algorithm, the asymmetric method is used to encrypt the data particularly when it is sent through the Internet. The Tedious task involves the creation of both private and public encryption keys. The key length size depends on the two prime numbers p and q and the encryption strength depends on the key length.

4. Blowfish

This algorithm uses the symmetric encryption of the public encryption key. It is an advancement over the DES for encrypting the data. When we need to decrypt the data, the message is divided into individual blocks of 64 bits.

The Major advantage is the conversion speed and the effectiveness of the system. It is freely available in the market and can be used in e-commerce services to protect data.

5. Twofish

Twofish Algorithm comes under the category of symmetric encryption of plain text. In this plaintext and ciphertext have only one key of size 256 bits. Bruce Schneier, a specialist in computer security, is the creator of Blowfish and its successor Twofish. Twofish is also freely accessible to anyone who wants to utilize it, just like Blowfish. It is widely used for 8-bit and 32-bit a system which provides the features of reliable, fast, and flexible data transmission.

Application of Twofish

Various algorithms use twofish namely −

• Pretty Good Privacy − It encrypts only the information while the subject of the mail is not encrypted.

• KeePass − When the password is set strongly, then the data cannot be theft. It protects the password by using the KeePass algorithm.

Future of Encryption

Traditionally, the data can be encrypted using 0 and 1 electrical signals. But the cyber-attacks are increasing largely in a more technological way, so the experts have to develop a new plan to fight against the hackers. Now for encrypting algorithm, it uses quantum computing using the electrons and protons. The qubit not only has the 0, 1, or some other digits exponentially.

Performance in traditional computers has grown exponentially, by powers of 2. It is predicted that exponential growth in quantum computing would be doubled and increase by powers of 2. The experts are focusing on the new encryption algorithms.

The system memory is protected and encrypted in the latest encryption technique. When the system is turned on, the encryption key is generated and used by the memory system and it disappears when the system is turned off.

Conclusion

Encryption involves the protection of data and the algorithm means certain ways of rules or comments that need to be followed during the encryption process. The effectiveness of the system is achieved by the encryption keys used, the operations, and the functions of the encryption. On the receiver side, the coded text or unreadable format of the text is converted back to plain text either by using a public or private key.