An encryption (also called enciphering), is a mapping of plaintext to ciphertext, based on some chosen keytext. It is performed by a stepwise application of a (more or less formalized) encryption algorithm (see cryptosystem).
An encryption step is an encryption applied to a particular sequence of plaintext characters, using, in a way that depends on the encryption key, a particular encryption rule of an encryption algorithm.
Often padding is necessary to give the message the proper length as required by the encryption algorithm. With padding, one also means the filling of gaps between meaningful messages, frequently by special padding characters (called nulls). Both meaningful messages and padding characters are encrypted, thus masking the occurrence of idle times. Careless padding may corrupt some encryption systems.
A product cipher or superencryption consists of an encryption \(\cal A\) applied to the result of encryption \(\cal B\); it is denoted by encryption \(\cal AB\)(product...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Bauer, F.L. (1997). “Decrypted secrets.” Methods and Maxims of Cryptology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 International Federation for Information Processing
About this entry
Cite this entry
Bauer, F.L. (2005). Encryption. In: van Tilborg, H.C.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cryptography and Security. Springer, Boston, MA . https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-23483-7_141
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-23483-7_141
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-23473-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-23483-0
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceReference Module Computer Science and Engineering