Section 2: Understanding Cryptographic Techniques

In this section, we'll first discuss symmetric encryption along with algorithms such as the Data Encryption Standard (DES) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). We'll then see how asymmetric encryption uses two keys, and includes algorithms such as Rivest, Shamir, Adleman (RSA) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). We'll also learn how asymmetric (or public key) encryption can be used in several ways, to secure email, exchange keys, and create a digital signature. Finally, we'll learn how a hash algorithm is a one-way function that outputs a message digest to provide message authentication.

This section comprises the following chapters:

• Chapter 4, Introducing Symmetric Encryption
• Chapter 5, Dissecting Asymmetric Encryption
• Chapter 6, Examining Hash Algorithms