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Keep your data private with your very own encryption algorithm
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Whatever your reason is for wanting to create an encryption program, creating one can be fun and very challenging. However, it might be tough to figure out how you do it if it is your first time. This article covers the general idea and the basic steps you'll need to take in order to create a functional and realistic encryption program.
Things You Should Know
- When you first determine your encryption algorithm, you should test it with a short message.
- Authorized parties should still be able to access encrypted data in case of an emergency, so be sure to consider methods of decryption as well.
- Once you have finalized your encryption algorithm, share it as a challenge on a forum to see if other programmers can confirm its reliability.
Steps
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Design the algorithm. A general algorithm is the backbone of all encryption methods. RSA uses mathematical properties of large prime numbers to quickly and safely encrypt private data. Bitcoin uses a version of RSA to safely secure payments and ensure that the sender actually wants to send bitcoins to another user. You should do research on various types of encryption algorithms, like private and public key encryption. It should be noted that no encryption, if you plan on retrieving the data, is unbreakable. Encryption can only discourage casual snooping, and delay serious attacks. It is recommended that you learn what binary is, it will make creating your algorithm much easier and more relevant to data encryption.
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Test your algorithm. Once you think you've got a good algorithm, you should try encrypting a very short message by hand. This should take more than a few minutes for good encryption algorithms. A good rule of thumb is that, if you can encrypt the message in your head, then it is not safe for serious encryption. If the final message looks similar, in any way, to the original message, then it might not be safe.Advertisement
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Consider decryption. There needs to be a way for authorized parties to access data encrypted by your algorithm. You should make sure that you can easily decode the data if you know the key, and make it hard for attackers to accidentally stumble upon the key through trial and error.
- If you do not want the data to be retrievable at all, consider creating a hashing algorithm instead. A hashing algorithm takes an input and creates a one-way value based on this input. It's possible to go from source input to a hashed value, but it is ideally impossible to go back to the source input from the hashed value. This is particularly viable for password protection. When you create an account on a website with a password, ethical websites will hash your password before storing it. This has many benefits, such as delaying attackers from cracking your password. However, if you forget the password, you'll be forced to create a new one.
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Draft the pseudocode. This should be relatively easy once you have your algorithm created and tested to prove that it works. The pseudocode should read like simple and instructive English, being readable enough for a normal person to understand, and instructive enough for a programmer to easily implement the algorithm into a language like C, Java, etc.
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Share your algorithm with other data encryption enthusiasts. This will allow you to discover possible trapdoors in your encryption, and get feedback on the security and viability of the algorithm. If your algorithm is so complex that no one can understand it, then no one will use it. But the same goes for if the algorithm is so easy that anyone can decode a message with minimal effort.
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Post a challenge on a forum. There are forums dedicated to solving and decoding data, try publishing a short message you encrypted along with hints about the algorithm used. If you're feeling confident, you can even give them your algorithm and see how long it takes for others to crack it through brute force.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat's the encryption algorithm of Bitcoin? Is it safe?Adam Hack is a Cryptocurrency expert based in Miami, Florida. He is the CEO & Founder at Coin Nerds, a multi-purpose cryptocurrency exchange platform that allows users to buy, sell, and trade their crypto in-person and online. Founded in 2018, Coin Nerds’ mission is to educate those with little to no experience in the rising Web3.0 economy through a combination of physical storefronts and intuitive online platforms. Through Coin Nerds, Adam has furthered his aim to not only make crypto purchasing increasingly efficient but to also capture the confusion behind crypto research into a necessary requirement for purchasing these assets. The platform prioritizes providing an accessible, customer-centric approach. Adam and Coin Nerds have been featured in multiple publications, including Yahoo Finance, The Wall Street Journal, and Fox Business. Adam recieved a BASc in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo.So Bitcoin uses the SHA-256 encryption algorithm. The SHA-256 is like a one-way cryptographic function. This just means that the hash value is easy to perform, but is virtually impossible to reverse the process. This hashing algorithm simply gives an object a digital fingerprint, making it impossible to tamper with or even consider that the integrity was lost in any way. As for the encryption standards Bitcoin uses, it usually uses the AES-256 encryption, which is a pretty strong military-grade standard. This encryption offers high-security standards for sensitive information. Of course, the security of Bitcoin in general is partially reliant on factors other than the blockchain technology directly used, such as the practices by the provider of the wallet and individual vigilance in keeping their private keys safe.
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QuestionIs there a software that specifically encrypts?Daniel WilsonCommunity AnswerEncryption software is useful, but can be hard to find. If you are looking for an encrypted search engine, try Tor, it is almost impossible to hack (it was first developed by the US Navy). However, always be careful, it is the doorstep to the dark web.
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QuestionIf I replace each character with two other characters, is it 8 bit encryption or 16 bit encryption?DanielCommunity AnswerNeither. It would be 2-bit encryption; a number of bits equal the number of characters.
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Tips
- Start with learning how other popular encryption algorithms work. RSA is unique and widely used in the real world for data encryption.Thanks
- Creating a good encryption algorithm is never easy, especially if it's your first time. Start with an idea, and build upon it. If you notice a flaw, it may be easier to start over completely instead of trying to patch the flaw.Thanks
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Warnings
- An encryption algorithm should work on the bit level of information. Avoid simply creating a cipher that only works with changing letters in a message to something slightly different. These are always insecure.Thanks
- No encryption is perfect. If you plan on retrieving the data you encrypt, this alone creates a hole in your encryption. Even when you don't want to retrieve the data, it can still be, at least theoretically, cracked and discovered.Thanks
- Unless you have a degree in information theory or security, you probably shouldn't use your encryption to secure your passwords or other private information.Thanks
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