| Hash |
One-way function that creates a fixed-length output from variable input |
| Cipher |
Algorithm used for encryption/decryption |
| Encryption |
Process of converting plaintext into unreadable ciphertext |
| Symmetric Cryptography |
Uses a single shared key for encryption and decryption (fast, but key distribution is hard) |
| Asymmetric Cryptography |
Uses a public/private key pair (slower, but solves key distribution) |
| HSM (Hardware Security Module) |
Dedicated device for secure key storage and cryptographic operations |
| TPM (Trusted Platform Module) |
Hardware chip that provides secure key storage and system integrity checks |
| BitLocker |
Windows feature for full-disk encryption |
| EFS (Encrypting File System) |
Windows feature for file-level encryption |
| RSA |
Asymmetric algorithm, widely used for key exchange and digital signatures |
| AES |
Symmetric algorithm, standard for encrypting data (fast, secure) |
| ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) |
Asymmetric algorithm offering strong security with smaller key sizes |
| Diffie–Hellman |
Key exchange protocol for securely establishing a shared key |
| Hashing |
Converts data into a fixed-length digest; used for integrity, not confidentiality |
| MD5 |
Hash algorithm, now broken and insecure |
| SHA-1 |
Hash algorithm, deprecated due to weaknesses |
| SHA-256 |
Secure hash algorithm, widely used today |
| PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) |
System of CAs, certificates, and keys enabling secure communications |
| Digital Signature |
Proves authenticity and integrity using hashing + asymmetric keys |
| Steganography |
Hiding data within another file (e.g., image, audio) |
| SSL |
Legacy protocol for secure web traffic (deprecated) |
| TLS |
Modern protocol replacing SSL for secure communications |
| Certificates |
Digital documents binding an identity to a public key |
| PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) |
Encryption software for email and files |
| GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) |
Open-source implementation of PGP |