[Isabelle Tubbs]

Cryptography is a means of hiding data that is communicated so that its true meaning is not revealed to those for which it is not intended. Using ciphers, keys, and hashing can all be processes for protecting data through cryptography. There are different methods when using these tools, and they each have different types. The different types of ciphers vary as to whether the data will be encrypted or decrypted by bits or blocks. Asymmetric cryptography uses two separate keys for encrypting and decrypting, and symmetric cryptography uses one for both processes. Finally, hashing does not use a key, but it adds a hash value to a message.
Regardless of which tool is used, cryptography should ensure that the information that is sent is genuine and accurate. To prevent attacks on the data that is exchanged, cryptography helps protect the data so users can trust that what they have received is the right data.