PGP & GPG

Cryptography Kindergarten 17

You’ll also see references to checksums, which are error-

checking algorithms similar to hashes but not as error-proof.

Checksums are simpler to produce (and easier to falsify!) than

hashes, but are useful for basic integrity checking.

Cryptanalysis

Attempting to decrypt a ciphertext without the key, by this or

any other method, is called cipher analysis, cryptanalysis, or an

attack. More complicated ciphers rearrange the letters in a

particular manner or radically transform the plaintext so that it

resists analysis by methods such as character counting.

Generally, ciphers combine the plaintext with a key to

generate the ciphertext. The type of key depends on the algo-

rithm, or the method used to combine the plaintext ...