Fundamentally, encryption within the realm of communication technologies refers to the process of protecting digital data confidentiality as it is stored in computer systems and transmitted using the internet or other computer networks. This is done through the use of coding and translating data in such a manner that allows for only those with access to the password or "decryption key" to read, download or obtain. Richard Hackworth described data encryption as the "process of scrambling data within a computer or communication system to make it unintelligible in such a way that the process can later be reversed by authorised people to reveal the original data". Encryption also is used to ensure that the receiver of information or data is the intended beneficiary and that there has been no meddling with the data along the sending and receiving process. Communication applications such as WhatsApp have come under fire by authorities in recent times as it comes to light that terrorist networks are using the "end to end" encryption options to send and receive information about criminal activities and plots. The security page on the WhatsApp website describes the service as ensuring "only you and the person you're communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp. This is because your messages are secured with a lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them". Whilst in many cases such a system would be welcomed and considered a worthy addition to the communication application, the current state of heightened unrest in terms of security and civilian safety as a result of increased terrorist activities, sees many feeling more unsafe than before.
One of the most famous cases of encryption decoding, The Enigma Machine was discussed in both the lecture and the tutorial this week. Having seen The Imitation Game a 2014 film based on the cracking of German codes by Alan Turing, the concept of encryption and deciphering of encrypted code and messages has become of interest to me. Especially relevant to the current state of privacy and the communication process online in terms of criminality, the importance of civilian privacy online is something that is not to be overlooked.
REFERENCES:
Lord, N. (2017). What Is Data Encryption?. [online] Digital Guardian. Available at: https://digitalguardian.com/blog/what-data-encryption [Accessed 17 Jul. 2017].
WhatsApp (2017). Privacy and Security is in our DNA. [online] Whats App. Available at: https://www.whatsapp.com/security/?lg=en&lc=GB [Accessed 17 Jul. 2017].
Barrett, B. and Barrett, B. (2017). The CIA Can't Crack Signal and WhatsApp Encryption, No Matter What You've Heard. [online] WIRED. Available at: https://www.wired.com/2017/03/wikileaks-cia-hack-signal-encrypted-chat-apps/ [Accessed 11 Aug. 2017].
Hackworth, R. (1995). Data Encryption. The Computer Bulletin, 37(6), pp.12–13.
