Hidden messages, encrypted information, codes to decipher, hackers on the lookout. All this sounds somewhat recent and even futuristic, but the reality is that data encryption or encrypted information dates back to antiquity, about 4,000 years ago, and has been a mechanism used by all civilizations to ensure that certain messages are received only by the intender receiver without the eyes of third parties accessing it.
Index
- What is data encryption?
- Brief history of data encryption
- Present
- Protect your information with encryption
What is data encryption?
Sometimes we think that cryptography is something new and far from our reality, that it is only used by the Pentagon or the CIA. The truth is that cryptography is present in all our communications, our mobile devices and in our applications, of course, it varies to different degrees and it is important to clarify that an application that claims to contain data encryption is not always completely secure and reliable.
Cryptography or data encryption is responsible for coding and encrypting a message to prevent what it contains from being read, perceived or captured by an unauthorized third party. Through codes and algorithms, data encryption seeks to protect the personal and confidential information of a person or company and protect it from malicious individuals.
A short history of data encryption
Data encryption has been practiced for more than 4 thousand years, that’s right, it’s not as recent as you thought, right? In fact, the origin of the word cryptography dates from the Greek words Krypto, which means hidden, and Graphos, which translates to writing, which could be read as hidden writing.
Hieroglyphs are usually taken as one of the first forms of hidden writing, since the Egyptians commonly included in their carvings, unusual shapes and only understandable by a few, which added mystery and curiosity to their stories told in this medium.
In ancient Greece, in Homer’s Iliad, we also find a reference to the use of cryptography, when one of the mythological heroes named Bellerophon gives King Lóbates a letter that King Black encrypted, which contained the message to assassinate whoever delivered the letter.
On the other hand, the Spartans also made use of encryption. They used a technique called transposition encryption, which basically consisted of rolling a scroll over a stake that helped to order the letters and read the message. So that the receiver could read it, he had to use a stake of the same diameter that the sender used. This technique is now compared to symmetric cryptography, where both the sender and receiver must know and use the same key to decrypt a message.
Ancient Rome was also famous for the Caesar cipher, which, as its name indicates, is attributed to Emperor Julius Caesar who used a technique that consisted of displacing letters, therefore the letters are replaced by others, creating a coded message that made it illegible for those who did not know the technique.
At the time of the Renaissance, the so-called Papal States, which were territories in the Italian peninsula under the temporary authority of the Pope, from the year 751 to 1870, were characterized by making an intense use of cryptography, an influential figure of this time was Leon Battista Alberti, who was the personal secretary of three popes. Alberti developed a disk-based encryption system called the Alberti Cipher.
Not to mention World War II and the historical milestone that turned the tide of battle. Germany had indecipherable communications and advanced steadily thanks to a machine that encodes messages called Enigma. This triggered one of the first cyberwars in history, where the main objective of the British was to break enemy communications. This objective was left in the hands of a group of engineers, physicists and mathematicians who were fond of crossword puzzles, chess and brain teasers, among whom was Alan Turing, who thanks to his computer work is said to have managed to shorten the war between two and four years. .
Sometime after World War II, the use of cryptography and its popularity were placed in the public eye thanks to Claude Shannon, who is considered the father of communication theories. In one of his most important articles, he modernized coding techniques into advanced mathematical processes.
Present
As we can see, data encryption has existed for many years and has undoubtedly played an important role in the history of mankind and in the development of our communication processes. Today it is more common to talk about encryption and find encryption in devices, applications or networks.
Clearly, nowadays more than ever, data encryption takes on an extremely important role for all people. We live in a digital age where all our information and communications travel through the network where there are thousands and thousands of people who can easily access this data. This is where it becomes important and fundamental to differentiate the levels of encryption and have a special and quality one to protect the personal, private and confidential data of any person or company.
Protect your information with encryption
Encriptados is an international company that provides cybersecurity solutions for your communications. Our encrypted cell phones, licenses, encrypted apps and Encriptados Sim Card, offer a superior level of protection with military technology, ensuring that what is private remains private and away from any malicious third party.
From protected calls and encrypted chats to self-destruct messages and panic passwords, Encriptados takes private messaging to the next level.
You already know the story, now you know that information is the most valuable resource. protect it with Encriptados.io
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