About Me
CompTIA Security+
1 Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities
1-1 Types of Threats
1-2 Types of Attacks
1-3 Vulnerabilities
1-4 Threat Actors and Motives
1-5 Threat Intelligence
1-6 Incident Response
1-7 Penetration Testing
1-8 Vulnerability Scanning
1-9 Threat Modeling
1-10 Security Controls
2 Technologies and Tools
2-1 Firewalls
2-2 Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
2-3 Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
2-4 Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
2-5 Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
2-6 Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
2-7 Endpoint Security
2-8 Network Security
2-9 Cloud Security
2-10 Mobile Device Security
2-11 Secure Coding Practices
2-12 Cryptography
2-13 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
2-14 Certificate Management
2-15 Security Tools and Utilities
3 Architecture and Design
3-1 Security Models
3-2 Security Controls
3-3 Secure Network Design
3-4 Secure Systems Design
3-5 Secure Application Design
3-6 Secure Cloud Architecture
3-7 Secure Mobile Architecture
3-8 Secure IoT Architecture
3-9 Secure Data Storage
3-10 Secure Backup and Recovery
3-11 Security in DevOps
3-12 Security in Agile Development
3-13 Security in Continuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment (CICD)
3-14 Security in Configuration Management
3-15 Security in Identity and Access Management (IAM)
4 Identity and Access Management
4-1 Authentication Methods
4-2 Authorization Mechanisms
4-3 Identity and Access Management (IAM) Concepts
4-4 Single Sign-On (SSO)
4-5 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
4-6 Federation
4-7 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
4-8 Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
4-9 Identity as a Service (IDaaS)
4-10 Identity Lifecycle Management
4-11 Access Reviews and Audits
4-12 Privileged Access Management (PAM)
4-13 Identity Federation
4-14 Identity Provisioning and Deprovisioning
5 Risk Management
5-1 Risk Management Concepts
5-2 Risk Assessment
5-3 Risk Mitigation Strategies
5-4 Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
5-5 Risk Register
5-6 Risk Treatment
5-7 Risk Monitoring and Reporting
5-8 Risk Appetite and Tolerance
5-9 Risk Communication
5-10 Risk Transfer
5-11 Risk Acceptance
5-12 Risk Avoidance
5-13 Risk Reduction
5-14 Risk in Cloud Environments
5-15 Risk in Mobile Environments
5-16 Risk in IoT Environments
6 Cryptography and PKI
6-1 Cryptographic Concepts
6-2 Symmetric Encryption
6-3 Asymmetric Encryption
6-4 Hashing
6-5 Digital Signatures
6-6 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
6-7 Certificate Management
6-8 Certificate Authorities (CAs)
6-9 Certificate Revocation
6-10 Key Management
6-11 Cryptographic Protocols
6-12 Cryptographic Attacks
6-13 Quantum Cryptography
6-14 Post-Quantum Cryptography
6-15 Cryptographic Use Cases
7 Security Operations
7-1 Security Operations Concepts
7-2 Security Policies and Procedures
7-3 Security Awareness and Training
7-4 Security Monitoring and Logging
7-5 Incident Response
7-6 Forensics
7-7 Disaster Recovery
7-8 Business Continuity
7-9 Physical Security
7-10 Personnel Security
7-11 Supply Chain Security
7-12 Third-Party Risk Management
7-13 Security Audits and Assessments
7-14 Compliance and Regulatory Requirements
7-15 Security Metrics and Reporting
7-16 Security Operations Center (SOC)
7-17 Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
7-18 Security in DevOps
7-19 Security in Agile Development
7-20 Security in Continuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment (CICD)
6. Cryptography and PKI Explained

6. Cryptography and PKI Explained

Key Concepts

Cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) are fundamental components of cybersecurity that ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. Key concepts include Symmetric Encryption, Asymmetric Encryption, Digital Signatures, Certificates, Certificate Authorities (CAs), and Certificate Revocation.

Symmetric Encryption

Symmetric Encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption. This method is fast and efficient for large data sets but requires secure key exchange.

Example: The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a widely used symmetric encryption algorithm. If Alice wants to send a confidential message to Bob, they both need to have the same key. Alice encrypts the message with the key, and Bob decrypts it using the same key.

Asymmetric Encryption

Asymmetric Encryption uses a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. This method ensures secure key exchange and is used in various security protocols.

Example: The RSA algorithm is a popular asymmetric encryption method. If Alice wants to send a secure message to Bob, she encrypts it using Bob's public key. Only Bob's private key can decrypt the message, ensuring confidentiality.

Digital Signatures

Digital Signatures provide data integrity and authenticity by using asymmetric encryption. The sender signs the data with their private key, and the receiver verifies it with the sender's public key.

Example: Alice wants to send a signed document to Bob. She signs the document with her private key, and Bob verifies the signature using Alice's public key. If the signature is valid, Bob can be sure the document came from Alice and hasn't been altered.

Certificates

Certificates are digital documents that bind a public key to an entity, such as a person or organization. They are issued by Certificate Authorities (CAs) and contain information about the entity and the public key.

Example: A website's SSL certificate contains the website's domain name, the public key, and the CA's signature. When a user visits the website, their browser verifies the certificate to ensure the connection is secure.

Certificate Authorities (CAs)

Certificate Authorities (CAs) are trusted entities that issue and manage digital certificates. They verify the identity of the certificate requester and sign the certificate with their private key.

Example: Let's say Bob wants to get a digital certificate for his website. He submits a certificate signing request (CSR) to a CA. The CA verifies Bob's identity and issues a certificate signed with the CA's private key.

Certificate Revocation

Certificate Revocation involves invalidating a certificate before its expiration date. This is necessary if the certificate is compromised or the entity's information changes.

Example: If Alice's private key is stolen, she can request the CA to revoke her certificate. The CA adds the certificate to a Certificate Revocation List (CRL) or uses an Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) to mark the certificate as revoked.

Conclusion

Cryptography and PKI are essential for securing data and communications in the digital world. By understanding concepts such as Symmetric Encryption, Asymmetric Encryption, Digital Signatures, Certificates, Certificate Authorities, and Certificate Revocation, you can ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of your data.

© 2024 Ahmed Baheeg Khorshid. All rights reserved.