Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Security Handbook

Applications that Use Encryption

I have discussed a number of the common encryption algorithms you might encounter as you work in the security field. It is equally important to understand the applications that utilize these algorithms.

Messaging

One of the first and most important uses for encryption has to be messaging. As I discussed in the "History of Cryptography" section of the chapter, one of the first recorded uses of cryptographic techniques was when Caesar used the Caesar Cipher to encrypt messages during battles. The techniques have gotten much more sophisticated, but the intent remains the same. People need to be able to send and receive messages securely, particularly when the message will be traveling across the Internet.

In the ...