Encryption - Revision history

Mwmccask: /* What is Encryption? */

2008-08-05T01:54:52Z

What is Encryption?

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	Encryption, in the context of software, is process by which data in a computer can be encoded in such a way that no one can determine its original value, save for the original owner of the data and whoever he or she sees fit. In this manner, private or sensitive data can be protected without having to physically deny access to the medium that holds the data (e.g. a server).		Encryption, in the context of software, is process by which data in a computer can be encoded in such a way that no one can determine its original value, save for the original owner of the data and whoever he or she sees fit. In this manner, private or sensitive data can be protected without having to physically deny access to the medium that holds the data (e.g. a server).

	In general, encryption consists of three items: the original data, the encryption algorithm known as the cypher, and the "solution" to that algorithm called the key. The cypher uses instructions provided by the key to perform an operation on the data, giving it a new value that does not yield any useful information about the original state of the data. At first glance, the new data may appear to simply be gibberish or random noise. In this state, the data is said to be encrypted. To decrypt the data, one simply has to plug the key back into the cypher and run the operations in reverse.		In general, encryption consists of three items: the original data, the encryption algorithm known as the cypher, and the "solution" to that algorithm called the key.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptography#Terminology] The cypher uses instructions provided by the key to perform an operation on the data, giving it a new value that does not yield any useful information about the original state of the data. At first glance, the new data may appear to simply be gibberish or random noise. In this state, the data is said to be encrypted. To decrypt the data, one simply has to plug the key back into the cypher and run the operations in reverse.

	It is not impossible to perform the decryption without the key, but if the key is of sufficient complexity or length, even a brute-force approach may require an impractical amount of time. It is for this reason that most clients can be certain that their data will not be compromised. It is also for this reason that clients need to take care that their key is only provided to people that they want to share the data with.		It is not impossible to perform the decryption without the key, but if the key is of sufficient complexity or length, even a brute-force approach may require an impractical amount of time. It is for this reason that most clients can be certain that their data will not be compromised. It is also for this reason that clients need to take care that their key is only provided to people that they want to share the data with.

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:53:28Z

Additional Resources

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	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Your-Encryption-Key-a-Fifth-Amendment-Right-90282 Your encryption key a fifth amendment right?]		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Your-Encryption-Key-a-Fifth-Amendment-Right-90282 Your encryption key a fifth amendment right?]
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html Security risks in key recovery] by Peter Neumann		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html Security risks in key recovery] by Peter Neumann
	~~These will be sorted later on.~~
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/12/19/Unlocking-encryption-management_1.html Unlocking encryption management] by Matt Hines		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/12/19/Unlocking-encryption-management_1.html Unlocking encryption management] by Matt Hines
	*[http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70524-0.html?tw=wn_index_1 A pretty good way to foil the NSA] by Ryan Singel		*[http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70524-0.html?tw=wn_index_1 A pretty good way to foil the NSA] by Ryan Singel

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:52:45Z

Additional Resources

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	General Info		General Info
			*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://library.findlaw.com/1997/Jul/1/126870.html Piecing together the encryption puzzle] by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
	*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption Wikipedia entry on encryption]		*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption Wikipedia entry on encryption]
	*[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/encryption.htm How encryption works] by Jeff Tyson		*[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/encryption.htm How encryption works] by Jeff Tyson
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://library.findlaw.com/1997/Jul/1/126870.html Piecing together the encryption puzzle] by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker


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	General Discussion		General Discussion
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Your-Encryption-Key-a-Fifth-Amendment-Right-90282 Your encryption key a fifth amendment right?]		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Your-Encryption-Key-a-Fifth-Amendment-Right-90282 Your encryption key a fifth amendment right?]
	*[http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70524-0.html?tw=wn_index_1 A pretty good way to foil the NSA] by Ryan Singel
	*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/technology/22privacy.html Voice encryption may draw U.S. scrutiny] by John Markoff
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html Security risks in key recovery] by Peter Neumann		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html Security risks in key recovery] by Peter Neumann
	These will be sorted later on.		These will be sorted later on.
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/12/19/Unlocking-encryption-management_1.html Unlocking encryption management] by Matt Hines		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/12/19/Unlocking-encryption-management_1.html Unlocking encryption management] by Matt Hines
			*[http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70524-0.html?tw=wn_index_1 A pretty good way to foil the NSA] by Ryan Singel
			*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/technology/22privacy.html Voice encryption may draw U.S. scrutiny] by John Markoff

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:52:02Z

Additional Resources

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	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2008/508/essentials/p62.htm Ethical considerations for providing professional services online] by J.H. Yamamura and F.H. Grupe		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2008/508/essentials/p62.htm Ethical considerations for providing professional services online] by J.H. Yamamura and F.H. Grupe
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Encryption ITLaw.Wikia entry on encryption]		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Encryption ITLaw.Wikia entry on encryption]
			*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.technewsworld.com/story/60102.html The university's role in advancing data encryption, part 2] by Andrew Burger


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	*[http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70524-0.html?tw=wn_index_1 A pretty good way to foil the NSA] by Ryan Singel		*[http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70524-0.html?tw=wn_index_1 A pretty good way to foil the NSA] by Ryan Singel
	*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/technology/22privacy.html Voice encryption may draw U.S. scrutiny] by John Markoff		*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/technology/22privacy.html Voice encryption may draw U.S. scrutiny] by John Markoff
			*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html Security risks in key recovery] by Peter Neumann
			These will be sorted later on.
			*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/12/19/Unlocking-encryption-management_1.html Unlocking encryption management] by Matt Hines


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	Against Government Regulation		Against Government Regulation
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA392334 Constitutional conflicts with encryption regulation] by Regina Winchester		*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA392334 Constitutional conflicts with encryption regulation] by Regina Winchester


	~~These will be sorted later on.~~
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.technewsworld.com/story/60102.html The university's role in advancing data encryption, part 2] by Andrew Burger
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/12/19/Unlocking-encryption-management_1.html Unlocking encryption management] by Matt Hines
	*[[Image:new.gif\|New]][http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html Security risks in key recovery] by Peter Neumann

Mwmccask: /* Problems */

2008-08-05T01:51:01Z

Problems

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	*''Using sufficient key strength'' - If a key is not large enough, the worst-case time required to perform a decryption via brute force is small. In the US this is a non-issue, as 128-bit encryption or higher is not uncommon.		*''Using sufficient key strength'' - If a key is not large enough, the worst-case time required to perform a decryption via brute force is small. In the US this is a non-issue, as 128-bit encryption or higher is not uncommon.
	*''The process can be slow'' - Depending upon how much data there is and how often you need to access it, constant decryption and re-encryption can lead to longer access times. This may cause some people to consider it an annoyance and forgo it.		*''The process can be slow'' - Depending upon how much data there is and how often you need to access it, constant decryption and re-encryption can lead to longer access times. This may cause some people to consider it an annoyance and forgo it.
	*[http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Key_escrow ''Key escrowing''] - A variation of key recovery, this is essentially a set-up wherein a person can grant their key to a third party that requires their information (e.g. a private company or a government entity). The third party typically has to present authorization and a compelling reason for needing that access. It is still a controversial topic due to the very nature of third-party access that would be necessary, and to date no one has come up with a sufficiently secure system that was not technically complex.		*[http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Key_escrow ''Key escrowing''] - A variation of [http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/judiciary.html key recovery], this is essentially a set-up wherein a person can grant their key to a third party that requires their information (e.g. a private company or a government entity). The third party typically has to present authorization and a compelling reason for needing that access. It is still a controversial topic due to the very nature of third-party access that would be necessary, and to date no one has come up with a sufficiently secure system that was not technically complex.

	=== Ethical Considerations ===		=== Ethical Considerations ===

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:49:51Z

Additional Resources

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	Previous Pages*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/ Old topic page]		Previous Pages
			*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/ Old topic page]
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/clipper/ Clipper topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/clipper/ Clipper topic page]
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/export/ Encryption exporting topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/export/ Encryption exporting topic page]

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:49:24Z

Additional Resources

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	[http://pg-server.csc.ncsu.edu/mediawiki/index.php/CSC_379_SUM2008:Topics#Encryption '''Return to topic page''']		[http://pg-server.csc.ncsu.edu/mediawiki/index.php/CSC_379_SUM2008:Topics#Encryption '''Return to topic page''']

	Previous Pages
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/ Old topic page]		Previous Pages*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/ Old topic page]
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/clipper/ Clipper topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/clipper/ Clipper topic page]
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/export/ Encryption exporting topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/export/ Encryption exporting topic page]

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:49:01Z

Additional Resources

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	= Additional Resources =		= Additional Resources =

	[http://pg-server.csc.ncsu.edu/mediawiki/index.php/CSC_379_SUM2008:Topics#Encryption ~~Topic description~~ 'Return to topic page']		[http://pg-server.csc.ncsu.edu/mediawiki/index.php/CSC_379_SUM2008:Topics#Encryption '''Return to topic page''']

	Previous Pages		Previous Pages

Mwmccask: /* Additional Resources */

2008-08-05T01:48:17Z

Additional Resources

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	= Additional Resources =		= Additional Resources =

			[http://pg-server.csc.ncsu.edu/mediawiki/index.php/CSC_379_SUM2008:Topics#Encryption Topic description 'Return to topic page']

	~~General Info~~		Previous Pages
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/ Old topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/ Old topic page]
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/clipper/ Clipper topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/clipper/ Clipper topic page]
	*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/export/ Encryption exporting topic page]		*[http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/encryption/export/ Encryption exporting topic page]
	*[http://pg-server.csc.ncsu.edu/mediawiki/index.php/CSC_379_SUM2008:Topics#Encryption Topic description]

			General Info
	*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption Wikipedia entry on encryption]		*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption Wikipedia entry on encryption]
	*[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/encryption.htm How encryption works] by Jeff Tyson		*[http://computer.howstuffworks.com/encryption.htm How encryption works] by Jeff Tyson

Mwmccask: /* Examples of Encryption Software */

2008-08-05T01:45:22Z

Examples of Encryption Software

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	* [http://www.pgpi.org/ PGP-]Originally used only to encrypt email messages and attachments, but has since diversified into several applications, including disk encryption for laptops and IM sessions. It is built upon [http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/public_key_cryptography.html public-key encryption] technology.		* [http://www.pgpi.org/ PGP-]Originally used only to encrypt email messages and attachments, but has since diversified into several applications, including disk encryption for laptops and IM sessions. It is built upon [http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/public_key_cryptography.html public-key encryption] technology.
	*[http://about.skype.com/ Skype] - Provides telephone services over the internet. Uses several different encryption methods, including [http://mathcircle.berkeley.edu/BMC3/rsa/node4.html RSA.] The encryption cannot be disabled by the user, and is managed automatically.		*[http://about.skype.com/ Skype] - Provides telephone services over the internet. Uses several different encryption methods, including [http://mathcircle.berkeley.edu/BMC3/rsa/node4.html RSA]. The encryption cannot be disabled by the user, and is managed automatically.
	*[http://www.gnupg.org/ GnuPG] - Another free data and communications encryption program that typically comes packaged with open source software such as Linux OS's. It uses some public-key techniques, but for the most part uses unpatented encryption methods.		*[http://www.gnupg.org/ GnuPG] - Another free data and communications encryption program that typically comes packaged with open source software such as Linux OS's. It uses some public-key techniques, but for the most part uses unpatented encryption methods.