What Is 128-Bit Encryption, And How Does It Work?
| 128-Bit Encryption |
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What Is 128-Bit Encryption, And How Does It Work? Encryption is a sophisticated scrambling method that is designed to prevent unauthorized eavesdropping on electronic data. Encryption works by taking a piece of information and processing it with a mathematical formula (called an "algorithm") that converts the information into a meaningless string of letters and numbers. For example, the sentence "This is a secret," when encrypted may look like "as03xx1a79x!dqt." This encrypted string of information can be sent over the Internet with the likelihood that anyone intercepting the message will not be able to comprehend it. When the string does reach its intended destination, a similar mathematical formula is applied to the string to decrypt it. 128-bit encryption refers to the size of the key used to encrypt the message. A longer key means the encryption is more "random," and someone attempting to decipher the message will have to try more combinations of keys. Each extra bit in a key doubles the complexity of the key. What's the difference between 128-bit & 40-bit encryption? The main difference is that 128-bit encryption provides a significantly greater amount of cryptographic protection than 40-bit encryption. With the increasing computing power of potential criminals, it is becoming more necessary to employ larger keys, as evidenced by a recent study by several leading cryptographers. In terms of what the numbers represent, "128" and "40" bit encryption refer to the size of the key used to encrypt the message. Roughly speaking, 128-bit encryption is 309,485,009,821,345,068,724,781,056 times stronger than 40-bit encryption. Presently, 40-bit encryption is not considered "strong" security in the cryptographic community. However, even taking into account Moore's Law, which states that computing power doubles about every 18 months, 128-bit encryption represents a very strong method of encryption for the forseeable future. What are "Secure Web Sites" all about? Web browsers can operate in "normal" mode and in "secure" mode. You can tell which mode your browser is in by looking at the toolbar at the bottom of the browser window. If you see a broken key, or an open padlock, you are in normal mode. If the key is whole, or the padlock is closed, you are in "secure" mode. When you surf the Net in "normal" mode, all of the information you type into your browser and all the information the Web site sends to you are visible to eavesdroppers. When your browser is in "secure" mode it encrypts all the information between itself and the server. Encrypted information looks like meaningless garbage to eavesdroppers, so your personal information is secure. What is a Digital Certificate? A digital certificate contains the name of a company, Web site or individual, along with a cryptographic key that can be used to encrypt information that must be sent to that individual. When your browser switches into secure mode, it asks the Web site to present its certificate. The browser decides whether or not it trusts the certificate by looking at who issued it. If the browser trusts the certificate (as it does those issued by Thawte), then it will encrypt all communications with that Web site, using the cryptographic key in the certificate. What else can certificates be used for? Certificates can be used to make Web servers run in secure mode. They can also be used to sign and encrypt email messages, and to digitally sign software so that it will be "tamperproof." What is a Certificate Authority? Thawte is a certificate authority! The CA, or certificate authority, signs certificates. Thawte is a global CA, with offices and representatives in more than 20 countries. We issue digital certificates to many of the Web servers doing e-commerce today, and have issued tens of thousands of certificates to people securing their email, too. |
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