Encryption Exploitation Technologies Research Paper

Encryption Exploitation Technologies - Research Paper Example It is in this regard that organizations have come up with security policies which define how data should be secured for confidentiality, authenticity, privacy, integrity, access control and nonrepudiation (Knott & Steube, 2011). The process of encryption employs different methods with a view of ensuring that information in its original and natural format is altered or converted into formats which cannot be read by systems attackers. Hence encryption is basically viewed at ascertaining that it is only the intended receivers who are able to read the message. This research paper gives a critical discussion of the nature and approaches of execution of the common methods that are used in the exploitation of encryption technologies. Symmetric Encryption Symmetric encryption is one of the major methods that are used in computer security in the exploitation of encryption technologies. In symmetric encryption, both the receiver and the sender of data or information have the same key or encryp tion key (Ackerman, 2008). In this regard, symmetric encryption is also known as shared secret encryption or shared key encryption (Lian, Liu, Ren & Wang, 2007). The encryption key in symmetric encryption method is applied both when encrypting and decrypting data. The security behind symmetric encryption lies in the fact that it is only the individuals with the same key who are able access and read data, information or messages which have been encrypted by the use of the symmetric key (Knott & Steube, 2011). Symmetric encryption has existed as the oldest methods on utilizing encryption technologies. It is essentially used for secure transmission of data. As a result, data that has been transmitted through the symmetric encryption is said to be confidential (Bhargava, Shi & Wang, 2007). In this sense confidentiality means that the understanding of meaning which is carried within the data can only be achieved by systems or individuals that share the same key. In this regard, it is evi dent that symmetric encryption is aimed at preventing unauthorized entities from understanding data rather than preventing them from accessing it (Dent, 2008). Therefore even if attackers access data, they are not able to understand its meaning since it is encrypted (Ackerman, 2008). Figure 1: Symmetric Encryption (PacketLife.net, 2010) It is important to note that encrypted data remains to be data. What changes is the inability for unauthorized entities to have and understanding or acquires the meaning that is contained therein (Moore, 2007). Due to encryption, the purpose of messages serves only the intended recipients (Al-Riyami, Malone-Lee & Smart, 2009). Symmetric encryption makes use of various algorithms. An encryption algorithm the word used to describe the mathematical formula which is employed in both the encryption and decryption of data files during the process of electronic data transfer or communication (Toubba, 2008). It is therefore the function of the encryption alg orithm to convert electronic formats of data into formats that are difficult to understand by the unintended audience. Since the intended receivers have the same key as the sender, symmetric methods in encryption allows them to read and comprehend the encrypted data. This is made possible by the use of the key and the symmetric algorithm to