A Journey through Cryptography Introduction to Common Concepts

In today's information age, cryptography plays a crucial role for safeguarding information security. This article will introduce common concepts of cryptography and delve into its role in securing information security from multiple dimensions. The eavesdropping, tampering, and forgery of information by attackers pose threats to the confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation of information systems. Confidentiality ensures that information is not read or accessed by unauthorized entities. Integrity ensures that information is not tampered with or destroyed during transmission. Authentication ensures the authenticity of the source and recipient of the information. Non-repudiation is the ability to ensure that neither the sender nor the receiver of information can deny the information they have sent or received. In order to achieve confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation in information systems, different cryptographic techniques need to be utilized. For example, “confidentiality properties” are achieved through secure communication systems, while “integrity properties” are achieved through digital signature systems.