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© 2003 Wonder Software Technologies Private Limted. All rights reserved. |
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WonderCrypt
PKI - Common Terms
Common Terms Used in
PKI
Algorithm : A
mathematical procedure when used in cryptography manipulates a set of
data.
Algorithms
are used for encryption, decryption, signing, verifying. The algorithms are
normally
well
known procedures and hence the strength of cryptography is in the
key.
Attacker : One who
attempts cryptanalysis, there can be various modes of attack e.g.
cipher
-text
only attack, plain-text known attack, chosen plain-text attack, chosen
cipher-text attack,
chosen
key-attack, rubber-hose / purchase-key attack etc.
Compromise : Loss of
key through non-cryptoanalytic means.
Cryptanalysis : Art of
breaking cryptosystems, i.e. science of recovering plain text from
cipher
text
without access to key.
Cryptography : Art of
designig cryptosystems.
Cryptology : Union of
cryptography and cryptanalysis.
Cryptosystem : Any scheme
designed to work with a communication system in presence
of
adversaries
(eavesdroppers), for the purpose of defeating eavesdroppers
intentions.
Cryptosystem
consists of an algorithm, key, plain-text and
cipher-text.
Digital
Certificate: A file that contains an entity’s
Public Key and Public Information about that
entity.
This can be either Self-Signed or CA-Signed.
Digital
Signature : An encrypted value of a message
calculated using some algorithm and
thereafter
encrypted using the Private Key of the key owner.
Eavesdroppers : Someone
having access to communication between sender and
receiver.
Key : This is
one out of a large possible values of numbers used by an algorithm to
alter
information.
KeySpace : Range of
possible values of keys used in a cryptosystem.
Message
Digest : A value of a message calculated
using an algorithm, a small fingerprint of a
larger
set of data.
Private
Key : One key out of a pair, remains
private to the owner. Used in public key
cryptography.
Public
Key : One key out of a pair, given by
the owner to the public so that anyone willing to
send
safe messages can use it to encipher the message, thus enciphered message can
be
deciphered
using the owner's private key.
Secret
Key : A key which is used for encryption
and decryption both. If used in cryptography
then
the recipient of the message must also recieve the key.
Session
Key : A secret key that is created new
for every transaction.