Proven Algorithmic Strategies for Information Protection

Abstract: Information technology professionals, holding the responsibility of determining appropriate solutions for the security of confidential information, examine cryptographic approaches through algorithmic properties. Implementation of the symmetric-key and public-key strategies remain the most frequently applicable policies for professionals requiring the distribution of private information. The number of parties possessing access to secure information and the viability of prospective adversaries impact the decision-making process for a technical solution. After determining the nature of the communication stream, including the necessary technical properties, information technology professionals can identify specific algorithms for securing information. When communication streams require simple transactions of encryption and decryption by all parties, the symmetric-key strategy provides a convenient method for the protection and retrieval of information. For more complex networks of communication, the public-key strategy provides additional algorithmic structures to protect information from access by prospective adversaries. Applying both strategies simultaneously can assure maximum protection of the storage and distribution of confidential information.

Keywords: adversaries, algorithms, cryptography, public-key, symmetric-key.