Difference between revisions of "Cryptography glossary"

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This is a list of common cryptographic terms and their meanings.
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This is a list of some of the more common cryptographic terms and their meanings.
  
 
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! Word !! Definition
 
! Word !! Definition
 
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| Attack || Any process of trying to read encrypted information that is unwanted by the creator.
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| Attack || Any process of trying to read encrypted information that is unwanted by the creator. There are many different types of attacks, each works against a particular weakness of a cipher.
 
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| Cipher || Any algorithm that converts plaintext into ciphertext. Examples include the [[One-Time Pad]], [[Caesar Cipher]], and many others.
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| Brute Force Attack || An attack which attempts every possible password combination. Brute force attacks are the slowest attacks, but are guaranteed to get the correct answer. However, even with modern systems, a long key will take years to find through brute force. Also known as an exhaustive search.
 
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| Ciphertext || Ciphertext is information that has been encrypted and is no longer readable. Before it has been encrypted, it is called plaintext.
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| Cipher || Any algorithm that converts plaintext into ciphertext. Examples include the [[Caesar Cipher]], [[One-Time Pad]], and many others.
 
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| Crack || The process of deciphering information without needing the key. In cryptography, the goal is to make ciphers that are uncrackable.
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| Ciphertext || Ciphertext is information that has been encrypted through a cipher and is no longer readable. Before it has been encrypted, it is called plaintext.
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| Crack || The process of deciphering information without needing the key or by guessing the key. In cryptography, the goal is to make ciphers that are uncrackable.
 
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| Decrypt || The act of deciphering information to its original plainly readable form through the use of a key.
 
| Decrypt || The act of deciphering information to its original plainly readable form through the use of a key.
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| Lookup Attack || An attack which uses a premade list to defeat a cipher, examples include a [[Dictionary Attack]] and a [[Rainbow Attack]]. Lookup attacks are often defeated by using a salt.
 
| Lookup Attack || An attack which uses a premade list to defeat a cipher, examples include a [[Dictionary Attack]] and a [[Rainbow Attack]]. Lookup attacks are often defeated by using a salt.
 
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| Nonce || A one-time salt, usually random, used to prevent a [[Replay Attack]].
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| Man In the Middle Attack || An attack where someone intercepts an encrypted message, and replaces it with a different message.
 
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| Password || A password is a piece of information that can be remembered which is used to generate a key to decrypt ciphertext.  
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| Nonce || A one-time random salt used to prevent a attacks like a [[Replay Attack]].
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| Password || A password is a piece of information that can be remembered which is used to generate a key to decrypt ciphertext.
 
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| Plaintext || Plaintext refers to readable information before it has been encrypted. Once plaintext has been encrypted, it becomes ciphertext.
 
| Plaintext || Plaintext refers to readable information before it has been encrypted. Once plaintext has been encrypted, it becomes ciphertext.
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| Private Key || A key that must only be known to the sender and recipient in order for the encryption to be secure.
 
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| Pseudorandom || Something that appears random, but isn't. Most values generated by computers are actually pseudorandom rather than random.
 
| Pseudorandom || Something that appears random, but isn't. Most values generated by computers are actually pseudorandom rather than random.
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| Salt || Information added to plaintext before being hashed or encrypted to help prevent lookup attacks.
 
| Salt || Information added to plaintext before being hashed or encrypted to help prevent lookup attacks.
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| Trapdoor Function || A mathematical function that is easy to compute one-way, but difficult to computer in reverse. Trapdoor functions are often used in public key encryption.
 
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[[Category: Cryptography]]

Revision as of 14:57, 13 October 2017

This is a list of some of the more common cryptographic terms and their meanings.

Word Definition
Attack Any process of trying to read encrypted information that is unwanted by the creator. There are many different types of attacks, each works against a particular weakness of a cipher.
Brute Force Attack An attack which attempts every possible password combination. Brute force attacks are the slowest attacks, but are guaranteed to get the correct answer. However, even with modern systems, a long key will take years to find through brute force. Also known as an exhaustive search.
Cipher Any algorithm that converts plaintext into ciphertext. Examples include the Caesar Cipher, One-Time Pad, and many others.
Ciphertext Ciphertext is information that has been encrypted through a cipher and is no longer readable. Before it has been encrypted, it is called plaintext.
Crack The process of deciphering information without needing the key or by guessing the key. In cryptography, the goal is to make ciphers that are uncrackable.
Decrypt The act of deciphering information to its original plainly readable form through the use of a key.
Defeat The act of circumventing a system to get secret information. This can include cracking a cipher, obtaining keys through theft or subterfuge, or any other manner.
Encrypt The act of enciphering information so that it cannot be plainly read without first decrypting it using a key.
Hash The result of putting information through a hash function.
Hash Function A algorithm that converts an arbitrary amount of information into a fixed-length of information called a hash. Hash functions are one-way so the original information cannot be recovered from the hash.
Key The information necessary to decrypt information that has been encrypted. This is different than a password which is an easily-remembered piece of information that is usually converted into a key.
Lookup Attack An attack which uses a premade list to defeat a cipher, examples include a Dictionary Attack and a Rainbow Attack. Lookup attacks are often defeated by using a salt.
Man In the Middle Attack An attack where someone intercepts an encrypted message, and replaces it with a different message.
Nonce A one-time random salt used to prevent a attacks like a Replay Attack.
Password A password is a piece of information that can be remembered which is used to generate a key to decrypt ciphertext.
Plaintext Plaintext refers to readable information before it has been encrypted. Once plaintext has been encrypted, it becomes ciphertext.
Private Key A key that must only be known to the sender and recipient in order for the encryption to be secure.
Pseudorandom Something that appears random, but isn't. Most values generated by computers are actually pseudorandom rather than random.
Random A produced value that cannot be predicted. Random values are extremely difficult to produce, and are usually pseudorandom.
Salt Information added to plaintext before being hashed or encrypted to help prevent lookup attacks.
Trapdoor Function A mathematical function that is easy to compute one-way, but difficult to computer in reverse. Trapdoor functions are often used in public key encryption.