CCNP Chapter 2: Cryptography

Encryption Mechanisms

Encryption ensures data confidentiality by converting plaintext into ciphertext. The main encryption categories are:

• Symmetric Encryption: Uses a single key (e.g., AES, ChaCha20)
• Asymmetric Encryption: Uses a key pair - public and private (e.g., RSA, ECC)

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Hashing Algorithms

Hashing is used for data integrity checks. It produces a fixed-size output from input data. Examples include:

• SHA-256, SHA-3
• BLAKE2
• HMAC: Hash-based Message Authentication Code (adds authentication)

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

PKI enables secure communication through digital certificates:

• Certificate Authority (CA): Issues digital certificates
• Digital Signature: Ensures authenticity and integrity
• SSL/TLS: Encrypts data in transit between web servers and browsers

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Post-Quantum Cryptography

Quantum computers pose a threat to traditional encryption. Post-quantum cryptography is being developed to mitigate this:

• CRYSTALS-Kyber: Key encapsulation
• Dilithium: Digital signatures
• Part of NIST's standardization initiative