NCJ Number
114158
Journal
Security Management Volume: 32 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1988) Pages: 45-47
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Encryption -- changing information into unreadable ciphers -- provides a mean for increasing computer security and privacy.
Abstract
The most secure cipher was invented in 1917 and is used to protect the Washington-Moscow hotline. One of the best known ciphers, Lucifer, was made into the official data encryption standard by the National Bureau of Standards. Encryption is now used by individuals and businesses to protect confidential information. Increased compatibility between home and office computers increases security needs. Businesses use encryption to adhere to government regulation; protect research and development, commercial, and other proprietary data; and deter unauthorized access to information by employees or competitors. The incidence of computer crime can be reduced and data can be made less vulnerable through the use of encryption, password protection, and regular employee security checks. Factors determining the strength of a decryption cipher include the length of the key, the formula or table used, its adaptability to other applications, and coding/decoding speed. The security of ciphers can be increased in many ways. Files containing blanks, leading or trailing zeros, and repetitive sequences should be compressed. The key or password should have eight or more characters and consist of random letters and numbers. During transmission, files should be segmented, and garbage characters should be transmitted between real files to create a constant stream of data. For higher security levels, files should be encrypted more than once, and they should be encoded and decoded sequentially. Keys should be securely stored and changed frequently. 3 references.