Computer Security, Defines encryption and explain how it is used to protect transmission of information

Essay by Anonymous UserA, April 1997

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Encryption is method of scrambling data in some manner during transmission. In periods of war, the use of encryption becomes paramount so those messages are not intercepted by the opposing forces. There are a number of different ways to protect data during transmission, such as Substitution (character for character replacement) in which one unit (usually character) of cipher text (unintelligible text or signals produced through an encryption system) is substituted for a corresponding unit of plain text (the intelligible text or signals that can be read without using decryption), according to the algorithm in use and the specific key.

The other method is Transposition (rearrangement characters) which is the encryption process in which units of the original plain text (usually individual characteristics) are simply moved around; they appear unchanged in the cipher text for their relative location.

Study Case (Bank of Shenandoah Valley)

While both encryption and authentication method are providing some measures of security, the implementation of security itself has totally a different approach.

Before any methods chosen, the two most important factors in security implementations are having to be determined. The level of security needed and the cost involved, so the appropriate steps can be taken to ensure a safe and secure environment. In this case Bank of Shenandoah Valley is in type of business which a high level of security is required, therefore, I would suggest the use of encryption method with a complex algorithm involved. Although an authentication method is a secure method as well, is not as complex as encryption method of complex algorithm since it has been used in military during the war where a high levels of security are a must. During the war, the use of encryption becomes paramount so those messages are not intercepted by the opposing forces. This is...