Cyber Security
Encryption and Caesar Cipher
Encryption is a way of securing data so enemies can't read your plans. One of the simplest ways of encoding your information is to switch the letters of the alphabet. This is know as Caesar's Cipher. It has a perfect balance of being simple to encode and to decode. However its biggest downside is that it can be easily decoded by an enemy once they figure out the shift. The shift is the amount the alphabet has been shifted by to create the message. A way to make it even more secure is to individually shift each letter by a different amount. In the modern world, simple shifts are not secure enough. Now complex algorithms encrypt data.
CIA - CONFIdentiality, Integrity, and availability
Encryption algorithms have to balance between three key factors. These factors are known as confidentiality, integrity, and availability. A confidential encryption means that the data protected is well secured. Having too much encryption could reduce the availability of the information. Availability of code means that the information is slower to access and to understand. In efforts to make the availability of the information better, the algorithm may sacrifice the integrity of the data. The integrity of the data is how usable the information is after it is encoded and decoded. For example, a text message might be useless if words are lost in the process of encryption. Different types of data will need to be encrypted differently due to the advantages and disadvantages associated with confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Social Engineering
Social Engineering is a way of gaining access to restricted data by deceiving, and stealing. Social Engineering can come from physical interactions such as persuading or digitally with the use of software and emails. Phishing is way of presenting bait on the internet. Someone can unwillingly give their data to a phisher through disguised website URLs. Their information can also be stolen by malware such as worms, rootkits, and spyware. Social engineering can be prevented by educating users to be wary of suspicious emails, websites, and links.
Electronic Voting
Voting is an integral part of democratic governments. In an increasingly mobile world, voting can made be easier with use of electronic voting. Since voting is so important, the digital systems involved are a big target. Electronic voting can be hard to implement because it is a huge target. It needs to have high encryption to protect personal data. Electronic voting systems also need a sure way of verifying a user. Without physical identification, voting fraud could become more prominent due to the amount of stolen information around the internet. The availability of the voting system is also very important. Attacks such as DDOS can completely shut the electronic vote system. Delaying voting can seriously affect outcomes if people have a change of heart or if people can't make up a vote.