Introduction
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties. One of the fundamental concepts in cryptography is a cipher. A cipher is a method to transform a plaintext message into a ciphertext message in such a way that only authorized parties can decipher it.
Types of Ciphers
There are two main types of ciphers: symmetric and asymmetric. Symmetric ciphers use the same key for both encryption and decryption, while asymmetric ciphers use a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.
Examples of Ciphers
One of the most famous symmetric ciphers is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is widely used in block ciphers. Asymmetric ciphers include RSA, which is commonly used for secure communication over the internet.
Case Studies
One notable case study involving ciphers is the Enigma machine used by the Germans during World War II. The cracking of the Enigma cipher by British codebreakers at Bletchley Park played a crucial role in the Allied victory.
Statistics
According to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute, 65% of organizations have experienced a cyberattack involving the use of encryption to hide malicious activity.
