We discuss the specifics behind these protocols later in this chapter. For individuals to communicate, collaborate, and access sensitive information in both an Internet and Intranet environment, there are a number of requirements that must be met to ensure that your network resources are protected. Confidentiality, access control, integrity, authentication, and nonrepud iation are the key criteria and necessary parts of any complete Internet and Intranet security program. Cryptography has emerged as a potential solution to all of these security requirements. Encryption, decryption, and digital signatures are all subsets of the science of cryptography.
Encryption changes readable format data into an unreadable format.
Decryption, by contrast, changes this unreadable format back into readable, plain text. This encryption and decryption is carried out with the help of a key or keys. Access control Ensures that only those who are authorized to view or modify data on a corporate server can access that data. Digital Signatures Digital signatures address integrity, authentication, and nonrepudiation requirements. Integrity Ensures that the data has not been altered since it was originally created.