Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Concept of encryption and encryption methods


When the Internet promotes applications of various fields, data security is facing challenges. Data transmitted via computer network needs enough security, for the transmitted data may be illegal monitored, stolen, tampered or damaged at any time. It’s imperative to encrypt data in the process of transmission.
What’s data encryption?

Encryption is a technology that restricts access to data transmitted over the network. Original data (also referred to as plaintext) is coded by encryption devices (hardware or software), which is then called ciphertext. The process of restoring the ciphertext into plain text is called decryption, which is the reverse processing of encryption. But you must use the same encryption device and password to decrypt.

Encryption includes several basic functions: to prevent uninvited users to view confidential data and files; to prevent classified data being leaked or tampered; to prevent privileged users (such as system administrator) viewing private data and files; to prevent hackers easily finding out system files. Data encryption is an important mechanism to ensure computer network security. Data encryption can be divided into three ways in terms of the logical location that encryption technology is applied to:

(1) The link encryption: encryption below the network layer is called link encryption, which is mainly used to protect data transmitted between communication nodes. Encryption and decryption are both realized by password placed on the line.

(2) Node encryption: This is an improvement based on link encryption. Perform encryption on the protocol transport layer, it mainly encrypt data transmitted between source nodes and destination node, which is similar to link encryption, but its encryption algorithm should bond with encryption module that’s attached to nodes, which overcome link encryption’s shortcoming that data is easily illegally accessed at a node.

(3) End to end encryption: encryption over network layer is called end to end encryption. This is end to end encryption: encryption over the network layer called end to end encryption. It faces subjects on network layer. To encrypt data and information on application layer, it’s easy to achieve with software. Although it needs low cost, the password management is difficult. This encryption solution is applicable to the situation where information is transmitted between multiple senders and recipients in large network system.

Data security and key management

Data security issue involves enterprise vital interests; developing data security technology is an urgent demand currently. Data security is not just an issue of data encryption, it refers to many aspects of contents, such as: hacking technology, firewall technology, intrusion detection technology, virus defense technology, information hiding technology. A comprehensive data protection system should integrate security technologies mentioned above in accordance with detailed requirements. Meanwhile, it’s necessary to enhance the whole company’s awareness of network security, improve the capability of overall defense against network intrusion and attacks, and form a high-quality network security management team on these bases.

Information security includes two aspects: information confidentiality and information authentication. Information confidentiality aims at preventing competitors deciphering confidential information in system; authentication is for verifying whether information sender is genuine but not fake, and confirming the integrity of information, namely, whether the information has been tampered, reproduced or delayed during transmission. Information confidentiality and information authentication are two different aspects; authentication can’t automatically provides confidentiality, while confidentiality doesn’t offer authentication feature. In modern information system with password technology, the security is subject to key protection, rather than relying on algorithm or protection on hardware itself. Therefore, password protection and management is very important in data security.

Key is the changeable part of encryption algorithm. In information adopting encryption technology, the data security is mainly up to key protection but not the protection on algorithm and hardware. Once the key is missing or wrong, the authorized users can’t extract information, and even it will make illegal users steal information. Therefore, key management is essential.

The Internet allows data and information to be transmitted among users, while it puts them in dangers and threats. How to protect confidential files has been a heat topic for all computer users. To prevent data and information from being tampered, stolen or illegally accessed, it’s necessary to encrypt them in the process of transmission.

Choose suitable program in accordance with requirements

Why do you need to record keystrokes struck on keyboard? If you are a parent who is cultivating a kid, you may need to judge whether your children have chat with strange guys from the keystrokes; if you want to find certain tool helping you record passwords of applications, keystrokes recording program can do this. Although not all of us need this function, it’s really a helpful tool for people who are looking for it. You can find such kind of program, I mean software, that can record keystrokes on Google. But if you only need a tool to help you record keystrokes, keylogger hardware must be a better choice. Keylogger hardware is generally like a USB, which allows you directly plug it into your computer USB port, and then it starts to record keystrokes since the computer boots. Keylogger hardware needs you to connect it to computer and then take it off when you want to view the logs. Since it’s similar to USB flash drive with limitation on capacity, you must remember to clear the logs in it regularly to keep it working properly.


But many users not only need keystroke record function, but also hope for more functions such as recording visited sites, and logging screenshots, etc. In this case, what they need is not a mere keylogger but a computer monitoring program. Computer monitoring software adds more features on the basis of keylogger, so it can be used in wider range of people’s life. For people who want to install a program to help record what employees have done during working hours, or who want to monitor children’s computer activities, computer monitoring software is a better choice. If some parents who hope for more features based on computer monitoring software, for example, need features of site filtering, you’d better directly search for parental control program online. Parental control program generally includes features of computer monitoring software and parental control functions such as block sites, block programs and limit Internet use time.