Inside Network Perimeter Security, Second Edition

Appendix B. Crypto 101

Cryptography is the practice and study of encryption and decryption. Cryptography is an important part of what makes a Virtual Private Network (VPN) work. This appendix is a primer on how cryptography works. It defines the various terms used for the cryptographic processes so that you can better understand the technologies that are part of the VPN. Cryptography is an immensely complicated and varied field. The purpose of this appendix is to briefly describe the encryption technologies necessary to better understand VPNs and how they work. It is meant to be a supplement for the VPN material that appears throughout the book, primarily in Chapter 7, “Virtual Private Networks,” and Chapter 16, “VPN Integration.”

Note

Quite a few ...