Chapter 16: Using Cryptography

If you're new to cryptography, let's talk about its purpose. I'm going to try to make this easy to understand, because to some folks, cryptography can be overwhelming.

Cryptography is all about protecting data, usually in the form of messages or files. This can be done by taking data and transforming it into an unreadable format, often called ciphertext. The only way to transform the ciphertext back into readable data is with a special key, which only the sender and recipient of the message have access to. This process is called encryption, and it's the basis of how cryptography works.

When you're through with this chapter, my hope is that you'll come away with an added perspective and greater depth of understanding of the essential role cryptography plays in the guarding and protecting of information and digital communication.

Here is what we'll cover in this chapter:

• Understanding cryptography
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