Encryption Algorithms Are Nearing An Expiry Date?
Computers and the internet have impacted the way people interact, share information and undertake their day to day chores. In fact, the internet and computers are the in-thing these days and are nearly everywhere. Unfortunately, with a large number of people relying on these technologies, individuals and institutions are facing an online threat each day.
Internet and computer users have to protect their activities and data as much as they can from cyber-criminals. There is no better way of protecting your digital presence than through encryption. A lot has been said about encryption from https://ottomatik.io/blog/tutorials/mysql-backup/, but it is the most reliable and secure technology available for everyday computer and internet users. In essence, there is a lot to look at before raising an issue like are encryption algorithms nearing an expiry date?
What to Know About Encryption
To clear any doubts that you have in mind about encryption algorithms, you need to have a clear understanding of what encryption is all about. Encryption is a process of transferring information or messages in a manner that only authorized parties can get hold of the data, and those who are not authorized cannot access such information.
Encryption is mostly used to protect classified information that only authorized individuals can access it. It is a secure data transfer method that can be used for different platforms. For instance;
- In online banking.
- Online stores.
- Hotel websites.
- News websites.
- Personal emails.
Encryption has provided governments and other institutions opportunities to facilitate secure and safe secret communication. Unfortunately, cyber-adversaries have occasionally come up with new ways of attacks. Cases of attacks on encryption keys, data corruption as well as cryptographic attacks have been reported on many occasions.
Through encryption, it has been easy to keep data away from hackers or from being fraudulently abused by cyber-criminals. However, this platform has been a success thanks to cipher or encryption algorithms. Encryption algorithms are part and parcel of risk management protocols and are found in software application and easily aid prevent information fraud.
Encryption uses algorithms to convert data or text messages, data uploads or emails into cipher-text, and this procedure renders the data indecipherable by unauthorized individuals. In the process of data transfer, the receiving computer uses a key to translate or interpret the cipher-text into its original form.
If the data intercept on the way before it reaches the intended destination, it is in encrypted form and unusable. Here are the high on demand encryption algorithms;
-
AES
AES or the Advanced Encryption Standard is one of the most secure encryption methods. It is a unique encryption algorithm that any internet or computers user should be well-acquainted with all the time. AES used to protect classified data, as it is a type of symmetric key encryption. Hence, you have to share the key with other users for them to be able to access the encrypted data.
-
3DES
3DES or Triple Data Encryption Standard is a block cipher and a distinctive key encryption algorithm that encrypts data three times to keep it more secure from cyber fraudsters.
-
Twofish
Twofish is similar to AES, and it is a symmetric block cipher that commands activities of encryption to turn plaintext into secure ciphertext. A Twofish guarantees an encryption method that is more flexible, and you can choose whether you want the encryption key to be slow or faster and vice versa depending on your security needs.
-
RSA
The RSA is an asymmetric algorithm that uses public-key cryptography to transfer data to insecure networks. It holds two security keys; one private (meaning its confidential), and then the other one is public meaning anyone can access it. You will thus need both keys to encrypt and decrypt or use one key to encrypt information and the other to decrypt.
The Future of Encryption-What In the Offing
Many internet and computer users think that encryption is unquestionably unbreakable, however, it is not the case. Encryption is a paramount technology and a wonderful thing, but today’s encryption platforms are rapidly expiring. News technologies and devices are hitting the market on a daily basis and they promise to make existing encryption methods obsolete.
The major weakness of encryption algorithms is the issue that these algorithms fail. They don’t provide a random series of ciphertext to protect data. But, instead generate decipherable patterns. For instance, if a fraudulent person identifies a pattern, it will help easily crack the cipher-text. Also, access the encrypted data. It may be hard for a hacker to crack all the blocks, but the few blocks will expose this crucial information and the consequences may be harmful.
The advent of quantum computers said to make existing encryption old-fashioned. And quantum-resistant encryption algorithms are likely to hit the market soon and transform this sector. To stay safe from cyber frauds, bear in mind that;
- Any sensitive data that can easily accessed by cyber-criminals needs to be encrypted.
- If you use data compression platform, you should make sure that you compress the data before encrypting it. Significantly, encrypted data cannot compressed but compressed data can be encrypted.
- Internet and computer users need to keep their private keys secure and protected. It is through long and strong passwords than short and weak passwords.
- Institutions and individuals who rely on internet. The computers need to make use of authentication based security options such as face scans, voice identification, fingerprints and other biometrics available in the market.
To Sum Up
Encryption is a vital technology that guarantees cybersecurity. However, with cyber frauds evolving on a daily basis, security professionals need to concoct new schemes. It is to help solve cybersecurity issues. Methods like, quantum key distribution and honey encryption will help keep hackers away and encryption algorithms are likely to become obsolete in near future. At the moment, it is wise to have some type of encryption in place to keep your data and communication secrets secure.