Cryptography is what keeps everything you
do on the internet safe.
So what is it?
When you send information to someone else,
it changes from plain, unencrypted text
to a scrambled version of itself.
This process is called encryption, and the
instructions on how to switch from unencrypted
to encrypted text are called a key.
For the recipient to be able to decrypt the
message, they need to have a copy of the key.
This is a complicated process to explain,
so we will show you how it works
on the example of paint instead of math.
To create an encryption for a private message
you and your friend first have to decide on a color.
In this example we picked yellow.
This information is made public.
Next, you both pick a color separately, but
this time keep it private.
Now, you and your friend mix your private
color with the public color so you both get
a new color that’s different from each other.
Now, you and your friend exchange the mixed
colors publicly.
Once you each mix the color you received from
your friend with your private color,
you and your friend will have the same color - a key!
This takes place in real life with a mathematical
process called modulus, which is just the
remainder of one number divided by the other.
Once you get the remainder of x and y, you
cannot get back x nor y.
Like when you mix paint, you can't separate
the two colors.
Through this process, you and your friend now have a key to lock and unlock an encrypted message.
This process is the base of how internet communications are secured today.
In a nutshell, it keeps the things you do
private, online and offline.
Do you use software to protect the files on
your computer or online?
Let us know in the comments and don't forget
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