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Cryptographic primitives

Much of the theoretical work in cryptography concerns cryptographic primitives—algorithms with basic cryptographic properties—and their relationship to other cryptographic problems. More complicated cryptographic tools are then built from these basic primitives. These primitives provide fundamental properties, which are used to develop more complex tools called cryptosystems or cryptographic protocols, which guarantee one or more high-level security properties. Note, however, that the distinction between cryptographic primitives and cryptosystems, is quite arbitrary; for example, the RSA algorithm is sometimes considered a cryptosystem, and sometimes a primitive. Typical examples of cryptographic primitives include pseudorandom functions, one-way functions, etc.

The foundational building blocks in the realm of cryptography include cryptographic primitives comprising of algorithms with the basic cryptographic attributes. They constitute basic building blocks on which complex cryptographic systems and protocols are founded. Much theoretical work in cryptography is based on the way these basic primitives interact with each other to form a complex system. Furthermore, cryptographic primitives address several cryptographic issues and their specificity is explained by meticulous theory review. With advancements in cryptography comes the need for persistent study of how primitives link with respective implementations. Cryptographic primitives have a dynamic nature; that is, they can be utilised for various cryptographic settings that will lead to development of complex cryptographic instruments, cryptosystems, and protocols. Ultimately, these higher-order constructs create these cryptographic systems with one more or other elevated level of security characteristics. This leads to a clear understanding that the ambiguous difference between cryptographic primitives and cryptosystems manifests itself in multi-layered algorithm examples like RSA. The RSA cryptosystem is considered as a whole when utilized in certain scenarios, while just taken as a cryptographic primitive in other cases. Duality between cryptographic algorithm and cryptography highlights its intrinsic complexity as well as ability to manifest in different forms.

Popular examples of cryptographic primitives that are used for the production of streams of numbers that resemble a pseudo-random nature required for different cryptographic processes are pseudo-random functions. Also, special functions which have a characteristic property called irreversibility is important for protocols for electronic signature and authentication. The theory that we are putting forward makes our theory richer, and at the same time, it generates new crypto techniques because it encompasses new explorations, improvements and developments on crypto-primitives.

Indeed, cryptographic primitives serve as building blocks for the new cryptographic science aimed at the present advancements in modern day technology and new day insecurity scenarios. In a more dynamic electronic environment, further development of cryptography is driven by the underlying conceptions and associations that make up the discipline.

Cybersecurity

Cryptography can be used to secure communications by encrypting them. Websites use encryption via HTTPS. "End-to-end" encryption, where only sender and receiver can read messages, is implemented for email in Pretty Good Privacy and for secure messaging in general in WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.

Operating systems use encryption to keep passwords secret, conceal parts of the system, and ensure that software updates are truly from the system maker. Instead of storing plaintext passwords, computer systems store hashes thereof; then, when a user logs in, the system passes the given password through a cryptographic hash function and compares it to the hashed value on file. In this manner, neither the system nor an attacker has at any point access to the password in plaintext.

Encryption is, for example, used to protect entire drives in addition to password protection. For instance, institutions such as University College London have implemented BitLocker, a Microsoft program. BitLocker encrypts the whole drive thus, its data is not accessible without the correct user authentication. This robust encryption approach goes a long way in helping protect sensitive information, especially in settings where privacy is crucial.

Furthermore, cryptographic protocols go beyond data protection to involve secure communication channels for diverse applications. Digital signatures and public-key cryptography also form part of cybersecurity techniques that ensure authentication, data integrity, and non-repudiation.

In essence, cryptography stands in the middle of all cyber-security issues, providing various methods to protect information at rest, in transit, on transit and during authorization processes. Continuous evolution of cryptographic techniques is necessary to remain ahead of the game and stay resilient in the world of evolving cyber threats.

References

"Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C" by Bruce Schneier

"Introduction to Cryptography with Coding Theory" by Wade Trappe and Lawrence C. Washington

"Zerocash: Decentralized Anonymous Payments from Bitcoin" by Eli Ben-Sasson, Alessandro Chiesa, Christina Garman, Matthew Green, Ian Miers, Eran Tromer, and Madars Virza