Encryption Flashcards
What is encryption?
Encryption is the process of converting information into a form that can only be decoded by the intended recipient, ensuring data privacy during transmission.
Why is encryption important?
Encryption is important for securing sensitive data during communication over networks, safeguarding tasks like online transactions, banking, and data exchange.
Describe the Pigpen Cipher.
The Pigpen Cipher is a substitution cipher using grids and shapes to represent letters. Each letter is replaced by a corresponding symbol within the grid.
What is a characteristic of the Caesar Cipher?
The Caesar Cipher is a shift-based substitution cipher, where letters in the plaintext are shifted up or down by a fixed amount to generate the ciphertext.
How does the Vigenère Cipher differ from the Caesar Cipher?
The Vigenère Cipher is a shift-based substitution cipher that uses a passphrase as a key, resulting in variable shift amounts for each letter in the plaintext.
What is a transposition cipher?
A transposition cipher, like the Rail Fence Cipher, rearranges letters in the plaintext based on a key (number of rows) to form a zigzag pattern in the ciphertext.
What is a limitation of the Caesar Cipher?
A limitation of the Caesar Cipher is its vulnerability to brute force attacks due to the limited number of possible shift amounts.
How does the Vigenère Cipher enhance security compared to the Caesar Cipher?
The Vigenère Cipher enhances security compared to the Caesar Cipher by using a passphrase as a key, resulting in a more complex encryption process with variable shift amounts.
What is a key characteristic of the Rail Fence Cipher?
A key characteristic of the Rail Fence Cipher is its use of transposition to rearrange letters in the plaintext, creating a zigzag pattern in the ciphertext.
What is the significance of understanding encryption techniques in modern cybersecurity?
Understanding encryption techniques is significant in modern cybersecurity as it enables the development and implementation of secure communication protocols and practices to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access and interception.
How can encryption techniques be applied in real-world scenarios?
Encryption techniques can be applied in real-world scenarios such as secure messaging applications, online banking transactions, e-commerce websites, and confidential file sharing to ensure data privacy and integrity.
