Security via Technology
Technology is changing the way people and organizations think about issues of security. Twenty first century is characterized with big data, which is translating to new techniques and tools of using and measuring the data. It also means that big data comes with complex security challenges. Security professionals admit that there are merits attached to big data, and it is expected that the trend will not stop as the human population is ever increasing in the world and at the same time more and more people are connected through various technologies. This paper focus at cryptography as a way of dealing with security issues related to technology.
Attacks on networks may focus on stealing information, destroying information and espionage attacks, among other underlying reasons pursued by the cyber criminals, nation states and enterprises. Destructive attacks are mainly done to disrupt normal operations of a system, which is a form of terror; an example is DDoS (Destructive Denial of Service) among others. Cyber attacks cause huge economic loses basing on the fact that they erode public confidence on a system and also cause public panic. Security management system of the big data is partly managed by cryptography among other methods. Cryptography is further divided into public key cryptography and private key cryptography (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003). Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is used in the internet as part of encrypting information.
Cryptography is characterized with analyzing and constructing protocols in a way that they overcome adversaries. There are many adversaries in the field of information security relating to data integrity, data confidentiality, non-repudiation and authentication among other critical considerations. As the technology advances, threats are also advancing, hence indicating a need of developing mechanisms of dealing with security threats. Cryptography in the twenty first century intersects different fields and disciplines relating to computer science, mathematics and electrical engineering among others.
Cryptography is common with A.T.M. (Automatic Teller Machine) cards, electronic commerce and in computer passwords (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003). Cryptography is connected to encryption and decryption. Encryption is characterized by conversion of information to apparent nonsense from a readable state. Decryption is characterized by retrieving the information to readable format from apparent nonsense. Decryption is only possible to recipients that are intended, which is a way of discouraging third parties from tampering with the information (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003). Encrypting was used in World War I by the Germans among others in sending high level messages to the intended parties. The advent of the computers have made cryptography complex and the application of cryptography has diversified with time.
Surveys indicated that cryptography in the modern age is based on computer science and mathematical practice, which has been influential in the formation of cryptographic algorithms (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003). Computational hardness algorithms are very hard to break by an adversary or by practice. Cryptography is considered secure, where computing technology and integer factorization algorithms are engaged in increasing the computing powers. Surveys have shown that onetime pad is an example of a complex cryptography that is very difficult to break into the system (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003).
Complex cryptography is expensive and difficult in the implementation, a number of computationally secure cryptography and mechanisms are easy to break depending on context. Cryptography has resulted in legal issues; reflecting on the United Kingdom, it has been noted that Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act of 2000 force suspected criminals to disclose decryption keys to the law enforcement officers; else the suspected criminals are subjected to criminal charges for non disclosure of cryptography keys.
In the United States, there have been issues with The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) which focused on the constitutionality of suspected criminals in releasing the decryption keys to the law enforcers. It was argued that the law enforcers were violating human rights according to the fifth amendment of the constitution. Legal issues cryptography has touched on prohibitions, NSA involvement, export controls, digital rights management and on forced disclosure of cryptography among others.
Public key cryptography facilitates convenience and security and generates digital signatures (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003). In making public key cryptography more secure, individuals and organizations use private key cryptography together with public key cryptography, which comprises a digital envelope. Demerits of a public key cryptography are attached to poor speeds and vulnerability and insufficiency due to impersonations among other security issues (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003).
Security in the twenty first century is a big business, improvements in technology relate to improvement on security issues. Security professionals indicated that the field is promising and complex. Network technologies are encouraging convergence of the whole world into a global village, and users of the technologies are after network integrity. The future of the information security technology is characterized with complex computer systems and networks, which will facilitate complex attacks on the networks and systems (Ferguson & Schneier, 2003).
Security threats in the twenty first century are advancing, and individuals and organizations are slowly dishing away old technologies that have failed in the adaptation of new technologies. Security professionals are working round the clock in making sure that the computer networks and systems are safe.
Network security is a reality; there is a need for security professionals to update the available security mechanisms in countering the threats of the network securities. Exchange of information in the twenty first century has significantly improved as more and more people in the world are connected, cryptography is one of the methods used in the facilitating security of information.
References
Ferguson, N. & Schneier, B. (2003). Practical Cryptography. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
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