Cryptography and the Issue of Internet Security

957 Words2 Pages

High level encryption or cryptography is used in a number of applications ranging from those which impact national security to those which are more mundane. Essentially, cryptography is the methodology of encoding information so that one’s privacy is ensured. This is particularly important when it comes to transactions which occur over the Internet. The risk of individuals gaining access to personal information or information which is critical to a country or a nation over the Internet is a very real one. The practice of cryptography lessens the likelihood of this happening.

Part A -- Identification and Description of the Issue

A greater and greater percentage of the world population is gaining access to the Internet and incorporating that access into their daily lives. More and more business transactions and personal transactions are occurring on the Internet. There is no questioning the fact that both the growth of the Internet and the number of sensitive transactions which occur on it are exponential.

In order to ensure the safety of Internet transactions, whether public or private, methodologies must be identified to safely and effectively encrypt information. Two methodologies are particularly associated with the issue of Internet security and deserve both an explanation and a contrast. These two methods are TCP/IP and cryptography. While the TCP/IP protocol was an initial first attempt at data security and integrity, it is insufficient. TCP/IP was not really designed as a security provision and is insufficient to meet the criteria which are necessary to ensure safe transactions (Computer Reseller News PG).

Part B ---Understanding of Information Technology Background of Issue

Examples of the criteria which must be met to ensure the protection of information which is transmitted over the Internet include:

1. The authentication of users.

2. The economical provision of single-user login services.

3. The provision of one security scheme which works both from within the user’s firewall and from outside that firewall.

4. The protection of the privacy and integrity of both real-time and store-and-forward applications such as e-mail.

(Computer Reseller News PG).

Part C -- Analysis of Impact of Issue

The impacts of in...

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...uter Reseller News PG). This is accomplished by assigning each user both a private and a public key (Computer Reseller News PG). While the public key is published so that all can access it and use it to send information to its owner, the private key is kept secret and used by the receiver to decrypt the information which was sent (Computer Reseller News PG).

The utilization of cryptography is superior to dependence on TCP/IP in that while information can still be intercepted by unauthorized personnel, it is less likely to be decrypted due to the elaborate cryptographic scheme. Unlike cryptography, TCP/IP messages are commonly intercepted using sniffer packets. Once intercepted they are immediately apparent in their content and no decryption is involved.

Sources Cited

Anonymous. Introduction to Cryptology. http://www.cs.brown.edu/. 2002.

Computer Reseller News. Cryptography Is The Key To Intranet Security Needs, Computer Reseller News, 30 Jun 1999.

M2 Press Wire. Hewlett-Packard: HP to make electronic world safe for Internet business, M2 PressWIRE, 2 Mar 2000.

Menefee, Craig. US Encryption Policy Stagnating Says Pioneer Diffie, Newsbytes News Network, 10 Oct 2001.

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