Part 1: Basic Terminology

Objective: Familiarize with the fundamental terminology used in the field of cryptography.

Definition: Cryptography is filled with specialized terms that are crucial for understanding the principles and practices in this field.
Key Importance: Knowing these terms is essential for effective communication and understanding of cryptographic concepts and technologies.

Plaintext:
- Unencrypted data that is readable and understandable without any cryptographic analysis.
Ciphertext:
- Data that has been encrypted and is not readable or understandable without the appropriate decryption key.
Encryption:
- The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and a key.
Decryption:
- The process of converting ciphertext back to plaintext using a cryptographic algorithm and a key.
Algorithm:
- A set of mathematical rules used in the processes of encryption and decryption.
Key:
- A piece of information used by a cryptographic algorithm to transform plaintext into ciphertext or vice versa.
Cipher:
- The cryptographic algorithm for performing encryption or decryption.
Key Space:
- The range of values from which keys are generated in a cryptographic algorithm, determining the possible key combinations.
Public Key and Private Key:
- In asymmetric encryption, the public key is used for encryption or signature verification and is publicly available. The private key is used for decryption or signing and is kept secret.
Hash Function:
- A function that converts an input into a fixed-size string of bytes, usually used for creating digital fingerprints of data.

Activity: Create a simple encrypted message using a basic cipher (like Caesar cipher) and decrypt it.
Objective: Apply basic cryptographic terms in a practical context.

Communication in Cybersecurity: Using correct terminology is crucial in professional settings to avoid misunderstandings and ensure accurate implementation of cryptographic techniques.