5 prompts assignment on cryptography algorithms

In responding to your peers’ posts, assess your peers’ recommendations and discuss whether additional modifications are needed. BUT respond according to the post if need be.

          1.Nice post on the role of the cryptographic algorithm.  One good thing you need to be aware is the fact that these algorithms can be utilized in a way to strengthen organizations existing plan by providing an additional layer of prevention especially as it relates to network security, but as Olzak (2012) notes, before looking at when and what to encrypt, it is important to understand where encryption fits in the overall security controls architecture.   In your own view, do you think that encryption adds additional overhead and cost to the data process? 

        2.(CH)The Role that most cryptographic algorithms play is pretty essential to big organizations and most computer users. When using the internet on a daily basis its main objective is to keep your system secure and keep information private from other users. There are many Cryptographic algorithms, that have specific purposes on how they are implemented. One of the most common algorithms is RSA ( Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) mostly common known as asymmetric cryptography. The way it works is it uses one private key and one public key (which is everyone is able to Access). While both keys are able to encrypt the message, the way to decrypt it is by using the opposite key you used from the beginning. This particular algorithm can be used to strengthen and organization's existing plan by adding confidentiality and authenticity to secure a stable connection over the network the organization uses at hand. One of the other main encryptions used by Organizations is symmetric algorithms which converts plaintext data into indecipherable text using only one single key. These Type of algorithms provide a quick and simple solution, although it may be quick but if a third party accesses the key it easily decrypts the message, almost making the algorithm one the most accessible  for third parties to obtain.

      3. Cryptographic algorithms are sequences of processes, or rules, used to encipher and decipher messages in a cryptographic system (What are Cryptographic Algorithms?, 2017).  These algorithms protect data of an organization.  Many algorithms use encryption and decryption to help secure communications.  Encryption converts plain-text into cipher-text and decryption converts cipher-text into plain-text.  There are various cryptographic algorithms and they mostly fit into the symmetric or asymmetric category. 

These algorithms have been used for many years to strengthen an organization.  For an organization, these algorithms protect data so that unwanted people can’t access it.  In other words, it provides authentication.  Making sure only access is granted by those authorized and limiting the amount of people that can access the data.  In addition, cryptographic algorithms make sure a company protect its confidentiality, availability, and integrity.  Confidentiality ensures the data is accessed by authorized personnel.  Integrity assures that the data is trusted and availability ensures the information is  available when required.  This ensures that an organization’s information is secure and protected.  Cryptographic algorithms secure communications and data within an organization.  This will strenghthen the company’s existing security plan. 

       4. Cryptographic algorithms are coding that is done with processes or rules.  They are used as a form of protection.  They can be set up with various levels of complexity.  Utilizing encryption these algorithms can identify who or what should have access to what it is they are protecting. 

        Cryptographic algorithms are really symmetric or asymmetric.  Asymmetric is a little more complex as it depends on more than one key (public and private) while symmetric uses one key that is known by the authorized parties.  Data Encryption Standard (DES) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) are what we see mainly as symmetric algorithms. (Wisegeek, 2017)

        With the symmetric really only using the one key it tends to be faster than the more complex asymmetric algorithms.  I think of the symmetric as being my simple log in to my computer where I am required to change my password every 30 days.  Nowadays we see a lot more of the asymmetric  or RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman). (Rouse, 2017)  Two-factor (or more than two-factor) authentication is happening a lot more now.  You log into a site that house personal data and then there are more questions that are being asked to ensure it is you.  We deal with a lot of personal data and more and more we are implementing projects that bring about this two-factor authentication which utilizes these asymmetric algorithms.

5. Cryptography is the use of mathematics to create algorithms or functions that can encrypt data into what is called cypher text and decrypt it back into plaintext or original content when needed. Organizations can leverage cryptographic algorithms in many ways. Today in our networked world it is absolutely essential to have encryption of data both in transit and on storage. Using cryptography organizations can securely transmit and store sensitive information. Cryptographic algorithms are used to provide this encryption service at various points in the digital world. Many of these services are provided as part of the operating system itself like certificate stores, key management and libraries that implement these cryptographic algorithms. Cryptography is also used in the networking layers and protocols. For example SSL/TLS use public key cryptography to provide a secure communication channel between client and server (Technet). Organizations can also use cryptography to help be in compliance with privacy and data protection laws.

Even with all the encryption in place, organizations need to look at the entire picture of their information right from its creation or it entering the organization to how it is transmitted and stored. The reason being that encryption by itself is not the solution to security and privacy problems. Techtarget published an article about a discussion between security expert Bruce Schneier and Edward Snowden. Snowden raised an important point that a properly implemented encryption works very well.  However data is still at risk. "When they do attack, it's typically through some kind of weakness, some sort of shortcut that reduces the resistance"(Laskowski, 2015). Attackers will find weakness somewhere in the chain to get at the unencrypted data. And the weakness is not the encryption algorithm itself, its other areas like for example how keys are stored and distributed. A data protection and security software maker Virtru finds that "Even if your organization does its due diligence, a partner with access to your confidential records might not be, and their poor security could be your downfall"(Virtru, 2015). 

PLEASE READ THIS.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT

Allow your discussion posts to be detailed and capable of sharing knowledge, ideas and points.  You must discuss the topic using your own words first.  Using your own words indicate you understand the topic of discussions.  Secondly, you must cite your sources in-text.  This is necessary to justify your points. Sources from several sources showed good research abilities.  Lastly, you must provide references at the bottom of your post.  A discussion post without justification with sources does not show proper research abilities. A terse and not detailed discussions represent post that would not provide enough sharing of knowledge or proper understanding of the topic. DO NOT just copy and paste a sentence from online with citation at the end as your own discussion. I have not asked for definitions, I asked for discussions and will not buy this.  You must show understanding of the discussion topic by using your own words to describe the topic and then justify that with sources.

www.citationmachine.net to format references into the APA style if necessary. Extremely important. Intext citations is very essential and highly needed as well.

use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Sources should be cited according to APA citation method (citation should be relevant and current). Page-length requirements: 2 PARAGRAPHS FOR EACH PROMPT ANSWER. Make sure you cite if you take a piece of someone’s work, very important and your reference should relate to your writing (don’t cite a reference because it relates to the course and not this very paper) at least 2 current and relevant academic references. No heavy paraphrasing of others work.