Chapter 2

What is Cryptography?
Cryptography is a technique of securing information and communications through the use of
codes so that only those persons for whom the information is intended can understand and
process it. Thus preventing unauthorized access to information. The prefix “crypt” means
“hidden” and the suffix “graphy” means “writing”. In Cryptography, the techniques that are
used to protect information are obtained from mathematical concepts and a set of rule-based
calculations known as algorithms to convert messages in ways that make it hard to decode
them.

Features of Cryptography
 Confidentiality: Information can only be accessed by the person for whom it is intended
and no other person except him can access it.
 Integrity: Information cannot be modified in storage or transition between sender and
intended receiver without any addition to information being detected.
 Non-repudiation: The creator/sender of information cannot deny his intention to send
information at a later stage.
 Authentication: The identities of the sender and receiver are confirmed. As well
destination/origin of the information is confirmed.
 Interoperability: Cryptography allows for secure communication between different
systems and platforms.
 Adaptability: Cryptography continuously evolves to stay ahead of security threats and
technological advancements.
Types of Cryptography:

1. Symmetric Key Cryptography

It is an encryption system where the sender and receiver of a message use a single common
key to encrypt and decrypt messages. .It is also known as conventional encryption. Symmetric
encryption transforms plaintext into ciphertext using a secret key and an encryption algorithm.
Using the same key and a decryption algorithm, the plaintext is recovered from the ciphertext.

2. Asymmetric Key Cryptography

In Asymmetric Key Cryptography, a pair of keys is used to encrypt and decrypt information. A
receiver’s public key is used for encryption and a receiver’s private key is used for decryption.
Public keys and Private keys are different. Even if the public key is known by everyone the
intended receiver can only decode it because he alone knows his private key. The most popular
asymmetric key cryptography algorithm is the RSA algorithm.

// An original message is known as the plaintext, while the coded message is called the
ciphertext.
The process of converting from plaintext to cipher text is known as enciphering or encryption;
restoring the plain text from the cipher text is deciphering or decryption.
The many schemes used for encryption constitute the area of study known as cryptography.
Such a scheme is known as a cryptographic system or a cipher.
Techniques used for deciphering a message without any knowledge of the enciphering details
fall into the area of cryptanalysis. Cryptanalysis is what the layperson calls “breaking the
code.”The areas of cryptography and cryptanalysis together are called cryptology.//

SYMMETRIC CIPHER MODEL:

A symmetric encryption scheme has five ingredients:

• Plaintext: This is the original intelligible message or data that is fed into the algorithm as
input.

• Encryption algorithm: The encryption algorithm performs various substitutions and

transformations on the plaintext.

• Secret key: The secret key is also input to the encryption algorithm. The key is a value
independent of the plaintext and of the algorithm. The algorithm will produce a different
output depending on the specific key being used at the time. The exact substitutions and
transformations performed by the algorithm depend on the key.

• Ciphertext: This is the scrambled message produced as output. It depends on the plaintext and
the secret key. For a given message, two different keys will produce two different ciphertexts.
The ciphertext is an apparently random stream of data and, as it stands, is unintelligible.

• Decryption algorithm: This is essentially the encryption algorithm run in reverse. It takes the
ciphertext and the secret key and produces the original plaintext.

What is Steganography?
A steganography technique involves hiding sensitive information within an ordinary, non-secret
file or message, so that it will not be detected. The sensitive information will then be extracted
from the ordinary file or message at its destination, thus avoiding detection. Steganography is an
additional step that can be used in conjunction with encryption in order to conceal or protect
data.

Steganography is a means of concealing secret information within (or even on top of) an
otherwise mundane, non-secret document or other media to avoid detection. It comes from the
Greek words steganos, which means “covered” or “hidden,” and graph, which means “to write.”
Hence, “hidden writing.”

Different Types of Steganography

1. Text Steganography − There is steganography in text files, which entails secretly storing
information. In this method, the hidden data is encoded into the letter of each word.

2. Image Steganography − The second type of steganography is image steganography, which

entails concealing data by using an image of a different object as a cover. Pixel intensities are the
key to data concealment in image steganography.
Difference between Steganography and Cryptography
 Basis Steganography Cryptography

Steganography means covered

Definition Cryptography means secret writing.
writing.

Steganography is less popular While cryptography is more popular than

popularity
than Cryptography. Steganography.

Attack The attack’s name in In cryptography, the Attack’s name

Name Steganography is Steganalysis. is Cryptanalysis.

Data In steganography, the structure While in cryptography, the structure of

Alteration of data is not usually altered. data is altered.

Steganography Cryptography
Security supports Confidentiality and A supports Confidentiality and Authentic
Principles uthentication security ation security principles as well as Data
principles. integrity and Non-repudiation.

In steganography, the fact that a

While in cryptography only a secret
Visibility secret communication is taking
message is hidden.
place is hidden.

Mathemati
In steganography, not many
cal Cryptography involves the use of number
mathematical transformations
Involveme theory, mathematics, etc. to modify data
are involved.
nt

Informatio In Steganography the In cryptography, the information is

n Handling information is hidden. transformed.
 Basis Steganography Cryptography

Informatio
The hidden information is not
n Transformed information is visible.
visible.
Visibility

Security Steganography Provides Cryptography Provides Confidentiality,

Services Confidentiality only. Integrity, Non-repudiation.

Algorithm Steganography doesn’t have Cryptography has Various recognized

s specific algorithms. and approved algorithms.

The goal of steganography is to

The main goal of cryptography is to keep
make the information invisible
Goal the contents of the message secret from
to anyone who doesn’t know
unauthorized access.
where to look or what to look for