Cryptography

Cryptography is the science of securing information by transforming it into an unreadable format, which can only be decoded by authorized individuals. In the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) framework, cryptography serves as both a defensive mechanism and a subject that ethical hackers must understand to identify vulnerabilities. The key components of cryptography include: 1. Encryption - The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext using algorithms and keys. 2. Decryption - Reversing encryption to retrieve the original plaintext. 3. Types of Cryptography: - Symmetric encryption: Uses a single key for both encryption and decryption (e.g., AES, DES, 3DES) - Asymmetric encryption: Uses public-private key pairs (e.g., RSA, ECC) - Hash functions: Creates fixed-length outputs from variable inputs (e.g., MD5, SHA) 4. Key Management - Securely generating, storing, distributing, and revoking cryptographic keys. 5. Digital Signatures - Ensuring authenticity and non-repudiation of digital communications. 6. PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) - Framework for managing digital certificates and public-key encryption. Ethical hackers analyze cryptographic implementations to: - Test encryption strength - Identify weak algorithms - Discover implementation flaws - Perform cryptanalysis attacks Common vulnerabilities include weak key generation, poor key management, outdated algorithms, and side-channel attacks that bypass encryption altogether. Ethical hackers might examine SSL/TLS implementations, VPN tunnels, password storage methods, and encrypted communications for weaknesses. Understanding cryptography enables ethical hackers to recommend appropriate security controls, including proper algorithm selection, key lengths, and implementation practices to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.

Cryptography is the science of securing information by transforming it into an unreadable format, which can only be decoded by authorized individuals. In the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) framework,…

Concepts covered: Cryptography Concepts, Encryption Algorithms, Cryptography Tools, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Email Encryption, Disk Encryption, Cryptanalysis, Countermeasures