Managing Cisco Network Security, 2nd Edition

Chapter 6

Cryptography

Solutions in this chapter:

■ Understanding Cryptography Concepts

■ Learning about Standard Cryptographic Algorithms

■ Understanding Brute Force

■ Knowing When Real Algorithms Are Being Used Improperly

■ Understanding Amateur Cryptography Attempts

☑ Summary

☑ Solutions Fast Track

☑ Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Cryptography is everywhere these days, from hashed passwords to encrypted mail, to Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) virtual private networks (VPNs) and even encrypted filesystems. Security is the reason why people opt to encrypt data, and if you want your data to remain secure you’d best know a bit about how cryptography works. This chapter certainly can’t teach you how to become a professional cryptographer—that ...