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Cryptography Cheat Sheet
Table of Contents
This comprehensive cryptography cheat sheet guide aims to provide a detailed overview of essential cryptographic concepts, algorithms, and practices to enhance your understanding of this critical field.
Cryptography Cheat Sheet
| Topic | Description | Algorithm/Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cryptography Fundamentals | ||
| Symmetric Encryption | Uses a single key for both encryption and decryption | AES, DES, 3DES, RC4 |
| Asymmetric Encryption | Uses a pair of keys (public & private) | RSA, ECC, ElGamal |
| Hash Functions | Generates fixed-size hash values from input data | SHA-256, MD5, Blake2 |
| Message Authentication Codes (MAC) | Produces a tag to verify message integrity | HMAC, CMAC, Poly1305 |
| Digital Signatures | Ensures authenticity and integrity of a message | RSA signatures, DSA, ECDSA |
| Key Exchange | ||
| Diffie-Hellman (DH) | Securely exchanges cryptographic keys | DHKE, ECDH |
| Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) | Variant using elliptic curve cryptography | ECDHE |
| Encryption Modes | ||
| Electronic Codebook (ECB) | Encrypts each block of data independently | ECB(AES) |
| Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) | XORs previous block's ciphertext with the next input | CBC(AES) |
| Galois Counter Mode (GCM) | Combines counter mode with Galois field multiplication | GCM(AES) |
| Digital Certificates | ||
| X.509 Certificates | Contains public key and identity information | Issuer, Subject, Validity period |
| Certificate Authorities (CAs) | Trusted entities issuing digital certificates | Let's Encrypt, VeriSign, Digicert |
| Protocols | ||
| SSL/TLS | Secure communication over networks | TLS 1.3, Cipher suites |
| SSH | Secure remote access and file transfers | Key exchange, SCP, SFTP |
| Cryptography Best Practices | ||
| Key Management | Regularly update keys, use strong randomness | Key rotation, Hardware RNG |
| Forward Secrecy | Protects past communications even if keys are compromised | Ephemeral keys |
| Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) | Generates unique keys for each session | ECDHE, DHKE |
| Common Attacks | ||
| Brute Force Attack | Trying all possible keys to decrypt data | Password cracking, Key search |
| Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack | Intercepting and altering communication | SSL-stripping, Impersonation |
| Birthday Attack | Finding collisions in hash functions | Collision in MD5 |
| Cryptography Tools | ||
| OpenSSL | Open-source toolkit for SSL/TLS and cryptography | Gen keys, Encrypt/Decrypt |
| GnuPG (GPG) | Encryption and digital signatures with OpenPGP | Encrypt files, Sign messages |
| Hashcat | Password recovery tool for hash algorithms | Brute force hash attacks |
| Wireshark | Network protocol analyzer | Analyzing encrypted traffic |
| Cryptography Regulations | ||
| GDPR | General Data Protection Regulation | Data encryption, Consent |
| FIPS | Federal Information Processing Standards | Approved encryption algorithms |
| HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act | Patient data protection |
| Emerging Trends | ||
| Homomorphic Encryption | Perform computations on encrypted data | Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) |
| Quantum Cryptography | Using quantum properties for secure communication | Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) |
| Blockchain and Cryptography | Security mechanisms in blockchain technology | Public key infrastructure in blockchain |
This table serves as a starting point for your comprehensive cryptography cheat sheet. Remember that cryptography is a complex topic, so make sure to thoroughly understand each concept to enhance your knowledge and proficiency in this critical field.