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42 lines
1.4 KiB
ReStructuredText
42 lines
1.4 KiB
ReStructuredText
Glossary
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========
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.. glossary::
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:sorted:
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plaintext
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User-readable data you care about.
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ciphertext
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The encoded data, it's not user readable. Potential attackers are able
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to see this.
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encryption
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The process of converting plaintext to ciphertext.
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decryption
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The process of converting ciphertext to plaintext.
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key
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Secret data is encoded with a function using this key. Sometimes
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multiple keys are used. These **must** be kept secret, if a key is
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exposed to an attacker, any data encrypted with it will be exposed.
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symmetric cryptography
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Cryptographic operations where encryption and decryption use the same
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key.
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asymmetric cryptography
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Cryptographic operations where encryption and decryption use different
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keys. There are separate encryption and decryption keys.
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authentication
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The process of verifying that a message was created by a specific
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individual (or program). Like encryption, authentication can be either
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symmetric or asymmetric. Authentication is necessary for effective
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encryption.
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ciphertext indistinguishability
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This is a property of encryption systems whereby two encrypted messages
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aren't distinguishable without knowing the encryption key. This is
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considered a basic, necessary property for a working encryption system.
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