Encryption and Encoding

 


Encryption and Encoding

Hello dev, in todays article I will be talking about encryption and encoding termnologies in software engineering. These are quiet important concepts necessary for any new bie in tech to know. Data is secured and preserved through encryption and encoding respectively. Also, by the end of this writeup you would understand that salting a password is different from the term encryption and encoding.

What is encoding?

Encoding of data is the process of transforming information from one format into another. It is used to make data easier to transmit, store, and manipulate. For example, when sending data over the Internet, it is encoded into a format that is readable by the receiver.

Data encoding is used to reduce the amount of data that needs to be stored or transmitted. This is done by using algorithms that compress or encode the data into a smaller and more efficient format. For example, an image may be encoded into the JPEG format, which compresses the image into a much smaller size. This allows the image to be stored or transmitted more efficiently.

Encoding can also be used to ensure data accuracy and integrity, by using algorithms to check for errors in the data.

Example of encoding
1. ASCII Encoding - Using the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) to represent text in computers, communication equipment, and other devices that work with text. 2. UTF-8 Encoding - A popular encoding system used for the Internet and other digital media, which supports all characters used in the English language and many other languages. 3. Base64 Encoding - A popular method for encoding binary data into ASCII text, which is used for sending emails and other forms of data over the internet. 4. URL Encoding - A form of encoding used for sending data over the internet, which converts special characters into other characters that can be used in a URL. 5. Hexadecimal Encoding - A type of encoding used for representing numbers, letters, and symbols in a compact, human-readable format.

Let Us extensively look at Base64 encoding.

Base64 encoding Base64 encoding is a form of data encoding that encodes binary data into printable characters. It is used to encode data for transmission over networks or storage in databases. It is also used for encrypting data for secure transmission. Base64 encoding is commonly used for encoding data for email and other digital messages, as well as for encoding text for storage in databases. Base64 encoding takes a sequence of 8-bit bytes and maps them to a set of 64 characters. The resulting encoded sequence is divided into 4-character blocks that are separated by a single space. Each 4-character block is then encoded using a 6-bit encoding scheme. This 6-bit encoding scheme maps each of the 64 characters to a unique pattern of 6 bits. This allows the data to be stored more efficiently and securely. Base64 encoding is an efficient way to represent data for a variety of purposes, including data storage and transmission. It is also a popular choice for encryption and data security. By encoding data in Base64, the data can be sent over networks without being exposed to outside threats.
Implementing base64 in Python import base64 def base64_encode(data): encodedBytes = base64.b64encode(data) encodedStr = str(encodedBytes, 'utf-8') return encodedStr def base64_decode(data): decodedBytes = base64.b64decode(data) decodedStr = str(decodedBytes, 'utf-8') return decodedStr message = 'This is a test message.' encoded_message = base64_encode(message.encode()) print('Encoded message: ' + encoded_message) decoded_message = base64_decode(encoded_message) print('Decoded message: ' + decoded_message)

What is encryption?

Data encryption is the process of encoding data so that it can only be accessed by authorized users. It involves transforming plaintext into ciphertext by using an encryption algorithm and a secret key. The encryption algorithm and key work together to scramble the data in a way that it can be decoded back into its original form only if the key is known. Encryption is used to protect data from unauthorized access and to ensure its confidentiality and integrity.

Example of encryption

1. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard): AES is a symmetric encryption algorithm used by the U.S. Government to protect sensitive information. 2. RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman): RSA is an asymmetric encryption algorithmc widely used for secure data transmission. 3. Twofish: Twofish is a symmetric block cipher used in some versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system. 4. Triple DES (Data Encryption Standard): Triple DES is a symmetric-key block cipher that applies the DES cipher algorithm three times to each data block. 5. Blowfish: Blowfish is a symmetric block cipher designed in 1993 by Bruce Schneier. It is a fast algorithm, suitable for hardware or software implementations.

Let Us extensively look at AES.

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric encryption algorithm used for data encryption. It is a widely used encryption standard that uses a 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit key to encrypt data. AES is a block-level encryption algorithm that encrypts data in blocks of 128 bits at a time. It is a secure and reliable algorithm that is used in many applications, such as WiFi security, file encryption, and online banking. It is also used by governments and organizations around the world to protect sensitive data.

Implementing AES in Python

import base64 from Crypto.Cipher import AES # Encryption key = b'Sixteen byte key' IV = b'Sixteen byte IV' encryption_suite = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_CBC, IV) cipher_text = encryption_suite.encrypt(plain_text) cipher_text = base64.b64encode(cipher_text) # Decryption decryption_suite = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_CBC, IV) plain_text = decryption_suite.decrypt(base64.b64decode(cipher_text))

Extra

What is hashing and salting? Hashing and salting are techniques used to store passwords in a secure manner. Hashing is the process of scrambling a password into a unique string of characters known as a hash. Salting is the process of adding random characters to a user's password before it is hashed. This ensures that two users with the same password will not have the same hash. These two techniques make it much more difficult for a hacker to gain access to user accounts by decoding a password from a database of hashes.

A hash is a one-way cryptographic function that takes an input (called a “message”) and produces a fixed-length output. A salt is a random string of data used as an additional input to a one-way function that “hashes” a password or passphrase. The syntax for generating a hash and salt in PHP is: // Generate a random string for the salt $salt = bin2hex(random_bytes(16)); // Generate a hash using the salt $hash = hash('sha256', $data . $salt);

Conclusion

I hope now you have fair understanding about what encoding and encryption of data is all about. Make sure to include them in your development for easy data transformation, transmission and preservation.

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