Cryptography is the practice of techniques for securing communication and information. It involves methods such as encryption, decryption, hashing, and digital signatures to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation.

Key concepts in cryptography include:

Encryption – The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext.

Decryption – The process of converting ciphertext back into readable plaintext.

Symmetric Encryption – The use of a single key for both encryption and decryption

Asymmetric Encryption – The use of a pair of keys – one public and one private – for encryption and decryption.

Digital Signatures – Ensure data authenticity and integrity by verifying the sender’s identity.

Hashing – Converts data into a fixed-size hash value to verify its integrity without the ability to reverse the process.