Throughout history, mankind has tried to hide certain information from prying eyes. Therefore, it is not surprising that a whole science arose from this desire - cryptography. What it is? Where is it used now and for what purpose?
general information
Previously, cryptography methods, as a rule, served the state interests. But since the Internet became widespread, it has become the property of a wide range of people. Cryptography is now used by hackers, fighters for data integrity and freedom of information, and just individuals who want to encrypt their data and not shine it on the network. But why is cryptography needed? What is it and what can it give us? This is a science that deals with secrecy of messages.
History of development
It is believed that the foundations of cryptography were laid by Aeneas Tactic. Attempts to encrypt data were made in ancient India and Mesopotamia. But they were not very successful. The first reliable security system was developed in ancient China. Cryptography has become widespread in the countries of Antiquity. Then it was used for military purposes.
Cryptography methods found their application in the Middle Ages, but they were already adopted by merchants and diplomats. The golden age of this science is called the Renaissance. At the same time, a binary encryption method was proposed, similar to that used in computer technology today. During the First World War, it was recognized as a full-fledged combat tool. One had only to unravel the enemy’s messages - and one could get a stunning result. An example is the interception of a telegram sent by the German special services to the German ambassador Arthur Zimmerman. The end result was that the United States entered the fighting on the side of the Entente. The Second World War became a kind of crystallizer for the development of computer networks. And a significant contribution to this was made by cryptography. What is it and what were the practical results of its application? Some governments were so frightened of the opportunities that they had put in place a moratorium on the use of
data encryption.
The fall of state monopoly
But government restrictions were ineffective, and in 1967, David Kahn's book, Code Crackers, was released. It examines the history of development, as well as the basics of cryptography and cryptanalysis. When this book was published in open press, other works began to appear behind it. The situation developed like an avalanche. At the same time, a modern approach to this science is being formed and the basic requirements to which the encrypted information must comply: integrity, confidentiality and untraceability are clearly defined. Then two components and constantly interacting parts were identified: cryptanalysis and cryptosynthesis. People of the first direction are looking for ways to bypass the protection and the possibility of breaking it. While those involved in cryptosynthesis, the goal is to provide protection for information. And how are things in modern time? So, let's say, FSB cryptography can be hacked? How? How fast
Modernity
When the Internet appeared, cryptography reached a new level. Its methods are now widely used by individuals in electronic commercial transactions, for identification, authentication and so on. And how can I not mention Bitcoin - a cryptocurrency that is generated according to a certain mathematical algorithm and is not controlled by the state. This payment method is used to circumvent restrictions or simply not to shine. As an example, you can dwell in more detail on the idea of bitcoin. This system was proposed by a young programmer named Wei Dai. And in 2009, it was successfully implemented by Satoshi Nakamoto. For transactions, intermediaries in the form of a bank or other financial organization are not required, so it is very difficult to track them. Moreover, due to the complete decentralization of the network, it is impossible to remove or freeze bitcoins. Therefore, they can be used to pay for any product - if the seller agrees to accept the currency. New money can be created only by users who provide the computing power of their computers.
Terminology
So, there is cryptography, what is it, we already know, let's figure out some terms to make it more convenient.
Of greatest interest to us is the autonomous electronic payment system. Thanks to her, the seller and the buyer can interact without problems. True, it should be noted that in this case, to transfer money to a bank account, you have to conduct another transaction.
Anonymity is a concept that means that participants in a transaction work in confidence. It can be absolute and revocable. In the latter case, participation of the arbitrator is still envisaged. He can, under certain conditions, identify people.
Honest participant - this is the name of the person who has all the necessary information and is steadily following the protocol of the system.
The Trust Center is an arbiter who enjoys the trust of all participants. It guarantees people compliance with the agreed protocol.
An adversary is an intruder who wants to violate the perimeter of an established confidential protocol. By default, all participants in the system are perceived this way.
Keep anonymity
Let's explore this topic with a simple example. Privacy adherents usually start with anonymizing (web proxies). They do not need to install separate software and clog their heads with complex hardware configuration. In this case, the user simply sends information about which site he wants to go to. Anonymizer makes a request on its behalf, and then forwards the received data to a person. But there are some tricks: the web proxy has a great opportunity to copy yourself all the information that goes through it. Many calmly use this opportunity.
For more experienced users, the use of funds more seriously will be preferable. An example is Tor. This service uses a multi-layer routing system, which includes a chain of proxy servers. Tracking data is difficult due to forked transmission paths. Thanks to this, Tor provides its users with a high level of data security. Although it has its own characteristics.
Shifropunk
This term is used in relation to people who are very passionate about the idea of anonymity. Such people do not have enough proxy servers, and standard cryptography services of operating systems do not suit them. Therefore, they try to ensure maximum anonymity through the use of open cryptographic systems. For the most part, they are created by cipherpunk activists. It should be noted that these developments often have implicit political connotations. This is due to the fact that activists are adherents of cryptanarchism and many libertarian social ideas.
Development
Mathematics and cryptography are closely interconnected sciences, and the second follows from the first. The development of data encryption and decryption methods is based on a wide range of algebraic methods. All necessary actions can be carried out by one person, but for the scale of the whole state separate organizations are created.
So, in our case, we can cite as an example the cryptography institute under the federal security service. The encryption protocols he developed are used to classify sensitive data that must be accessed for millions of years. This business is serious - cryptography. Computer science also has a lot in common with this science. But in this case, data is encrypted in such a way that computers of a certain architecture can read them. As you can see, these sciences in modern life are closely related.
Conclusion
Cryptography is not an easy thing. Of course, you can create your own encryption system at your leisure, but not the fact that it can provide more or less serious resistance to hardened specialists. If you want to understand the basics of cryptography, you can start with mathematical disciplines. Although you can greatly simplify your task and use one of the many open data encryption systems. But in this case, it is necessary to raise the question of their effectiveness and level of protection.