Cryptanalysis is the science of making encrypted data unencrypted. Cryptanalysts Practitioners of cryptanalysis are known as cryptanalysts. Cryptanalysis in Context A cryptographer will use cryptography to convert plaintext into ciphertext and a cryptanalyst will use cryptanalysis to attempt to turn that ciphertext back into plaintext. Both the cryptographer and the cryptanalyst are cryptologists. Cryptography and cryptanalysis are the two sides of cryptology.

Kerberos is a network authentication protocol which utilizes symmetric cryptography to provide authentication for client-server applications. Kerberos Standard Definition Kerberos is defined in RFC 1510 – The Kerberos Network Authentication Service (V5). Kerberos Architecture The core of  Kerberos architecture is the KDC (Key Distribution Server). The KDC stores authentication information and uses it to securely authenticate users and services. This authentication is called secure because it: Does not appear as plaintext Does not rely on authentication by the host operating system Does not base trust on IP addresses Does not Read More

Sometimes instead of encrypting a file or a set of files, you want to encrypt an entire file system, partition, or disk. One of the chief advantages of this approach is that, once you have entered your encryption key, the encryption becomes transparent to both you and your applications. When you power off your computer, your data is securely encrypted. It is the best of both worlds. What is Whole Disk Encryption Whole disk encryption is a process in which every bit of data that is on a disk is Read More

A known plaintext attack is an attack where the cryptanalyst has access to the ciphertext and the plaintext of one or more pieces of data. A known plaintext attack is somewhat easier to mount than a chosen plaintext attack, because a known plaintext attack does not require the cryptanalyst to be able to feed data into the encryption device, it only requires him to know what data is being fed into the device.

Microsoft Access had no encryption capability until the release of Microsoft Access 2007. With the MS Access 2007 release, encryption is now available. Encryption Requirements To encrypt your access database you must use a new database format released with MS Access 2007, the ACCDB format. Differences between the original MDB format and the new ACCDB format can be found here. If you need to convert your older database to the ACCDB format perform these operations: Open Microsoft Access 2007. Click the “Microsoft Office Button”. It should be in the left Read More

With fast-access computers and interlinking networks that connect many different devices together, many users worry about other people stumbling upon their personal information. With the dangers of the Internet aside, users still have to be concerned about their friends, relatives, and co-workers accessing their computer and seeing things that they would rather keep private. Because of this, there are dozens of programs available that are able to protect users' files and folders with a password and various encryption methods. This article will explain what encryption software is and list a Read More

Everyone likes safety. The safety of confidential information is always of special concern. Therefore, information protection is a necessity and can be useful to companies and individuals who care about their intellectual property’s confidentiality. People who want their e-mails kept confidential and their e-mail attachments readable only to the intended recipient can appreciate information protection. GnuPG Shell is a software tool that keeps information safe by using the strong protection that OpenPGP standard offers (RFC2440). GnuPG Shell is a cross platform graphical front end for GNU Privacy Guard. GnuPG Shell Read More

Cryptology Cryptology is the science which incorporates both cryptography and cryptanalysis. Cryptologists Practitioners of cryptology are known as cryptologists. Cryptology in Context A cryptographer will use cryptography to convert plaintext into ciphertext and a cryptanalyst will use cryptanalysis to attempt to turn that ciphertext back into plaintext. Both the cryptographer and the cryptanalyst are cryptologists. Cryptography and cryptanalysis are the two sides of cryptology.

A PKI certificate, which stands for Public Key Infrastructure certificate, allows someone to combine their digital signature with a public key and something that identifies them, an example being their real life name. This certificate is used to allow computer users to show that they do own the public keys they claim to. In other words, it is a security mechanism for public keys. As mentioned before, a digital signature is required for the PKI certificate. This signature can either be made by an authority figure who assigns the certificates, Read More

Plaintext Plaintext, also known as cleartext, is usable data. It is data either before encryption or after successful decryption. Ciphertext Ciphertext is encrypted data. Plaintext can not be deduced from properly encrypted ciphertext. Here is a brief message in ciphertext: pgAAADP1wJU8OtQgiOPV9b+EyS6Iz6acuGAKrm1 GEcI4eJJolT68cOb1H/o/PxZ8 nYIs0UupT+0= =7mu0 Encryption and Decryption Encryption is the process of turning plaintext into ciphertext. Decryption is the process of turning ciphertext into plaintext. Cryptographic Attacks Using Plaintext and Ciphertext A cryptanalyst in possession of a piece of plaintext and the resulting ciphertext can attempt to mount a known Read More