The Controversy Surrounding Computer Cryptography

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The Controversy Surrounding Computer Cryptography

The topic of cryptography is being debated in the computer lately, especially since September 11, 2001. To begin with, though cryptography is secret writing or the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code or cipher. Cryptography has become very popular in all aspects of life that deal with computers, which is almost every aspect of our daily lives. Ever since the mid-seventies, cryptography is the new way of keeping information secret or private. However, just how good and safe is cryptography?

There have been many forms of codes that were used to send messages from group to group or person to person. One of the first know type of secret messaging was done by the Spartans of Ancient Greece around 484 to 425 BC. Secret messages were written on wooden tablets and covered with wax to make the tablet look like wood again. The message could then be read after the wax was removed. The slaves trying to escape used another type of secret messaging. Some messages that they would use to signal each other were quilts. Certain patterns on some quilts gave directions to these slaves in how to escape into Canada. In addition, they used secret words to help guide their fellow slaves to freedom. One such code phrase was "Follow the drinking gourd." This referred to the Big Dipper in the night sky. Because most slaves traveled at night because it was safer, that phrase gave them directions to their freedom. Those were just a sample of early types of secret codes.

Modern cryptography is far more complicated. It consists of long mathematical formulas that to most people looks like total gibberish. However, these formulas turn a normal sentence into undecipherable code. Modern encryption codes are used daily throughout our daily lives For example they are used widely throughout he Internet for security purposes.

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