In this article, we’re gonna talk about What is encryption? Cryptography, PGP, and ways to crack the encryption.
Encryption is used to protect text and data and keep others from reading it. Every cybersecurity expert or hacker must have to know encryption, cryptography, and how to crack it.
About Encryption | How it works.
The art of encryption is very old. Many kings and many spies use encryption, even Julius Ceaser uses the encryption to send messages because he doesn’t trust their messengers.
When you can see a normal text file that you can read it is called “plain text”. But when you encrypt the plain text then you cannot read it without a password or without decrypting the file. In this state, it is known as ciphertext. changing the ciphertext to plain text is known as decryption.
About Cryptography and PGP
Cryptography is a science that uses mathematics to encrypt or decrypt the message. This method can keep your file safe even in the most unsecured network like the internet.
It can be weak or strong depends on the creator. Strong cryptography may take billions of years to crack.
PGP (pretty good privacy) is maybe the best way to encrypt your data or plain text
Let’s see how it works.
When you encrypt a file with PGP, the PGP compresses the file which saves your disk space and modem transmission. Then the session key is created which is very secured. The session key is encrypted with the recipient’s public key.
PGP ask you for pass phrase not for password, this step saves it from bruteforce attacks.
How to decrypt it?
The PGP’s algorithm is unbreakable and hence it is impossible to decrypt the file. But there are some other ways in which you can read the encrypted text.
- Bad pass phrases – PGP uses passphrases to decrypt the text. But if someone has bad or lame passphrases it will be easy to brute-force. So it is always recommended to use long and good passphrases which only you can think of.
- Not Deleted Files – When you encrypt your text file, you simply just delete the text file for safety. But the file is not really removed from your computer, The computer just marks those blocks of disk free and deleted. Someone can easily run a file recovery software to get your deleted text file and read the plain text. PGP has a tool known as PGP secure wipe that completely removes all the deleted files from the computer.
- Keyloggers – Keyloggers are always a dangerous thing. If there is a keylogger on your computer all of your keystrokes are recording. There are some keyloggers that are specially designed for taking the PGP passphrase, the moment you type it on your computer the data will go to the hacker.
These are some ways you can crack the PGP without actually cracking it.
If your passphrase is good and there are no trojans or viruses on your computer there is no way your PGP can be cracked
