| IT 263 Introduction aux Réseaux Locaux et à la Sécurité Informatique I |
Chapter 17: Integrity and EncryptionThe encryption algorithm is the general rule or instruction set applied to the data to transform it to ciphertext. The key is the actual value used by the algorithm. A different key value results in different ciphertext, although the basic encryption process is the same. What is a potential drawback of symmetric encryption?A: The need to share the key between the two parties creates the potential for key compromise or loss. What makes public key encryption potentially so secure? A: The keys are not shared between the parties. Because two parties can hash the same data and compare hashes to see if they match, hashing can be used for data verification in a variety of situations, including password authentication. Hashes of passwords, rather than the passwords themselves, can be sent between the two parties. A hash of a file or a hash code in an electronic message can be verified by both parties after information transfer. |