The growth over the years regarding cryptography captures a significant technological and telecommunication aspect. The first-ever evidence of its application was depicted to be around 1900 BC in an inscription carved (Azad, 2021). Cryptography articulates the study of codes and ciphers. Its primary aim was to protect and secure data. The modes of data in the past were primitive instead of the current forms of data, which are sensitive, such as federal data, thus showcasing the magnitude and significance of the advanced state of protection and security. The ancient civilizations in Egypt were among the first traces of the use of its applications. Citing the current digital forms of data protection aimed at offering integrity, privacy, and advanced security, the past forms of securing data in carved stones, therefore, showcases the long history of the platform.
The history of cryptography depicts numerous primitive practices. The Egyptian Hieroglyphics capture one of the first traces of these primitive practices of this application. 3900 years ago sets forth the start of the nonstandard forms of Egyptian hieroglyphics (Azad, 2021). The hieroglyphics acted as the formal methods and alphabets used to pass messages and served as communication elements. During Egyptian civilization, the need to possess formal communications was a significant obstacle, thus starting the need for better methods, and the cryptograph primitive practices were born (Dooley, 2018). It was made of pictograms containing symbols and designs. Depending on the party for which the message was intended, the characters and designs were carved on stones in unique ways that only a portion of the intended recipient could encrypt.
Besides the Egyptian hieroglyphics, Greek instances also captured a primitive application of the practices of the cryptograph. The Greek instances showcased traces of the use of its applications in the Spartan military (Azad, 2021). It deployed a transposition cipher, which aimed to pass information and messages from one point to the other. However, the traces of the functions of the applications were vague, and there was no concrete data on its background. Primitive steganography also captured one of the primitive practices of the application (Dooley, 2018). It contained carving the messages on tables and later covering the messages with wax and tattooing the message onto the heads of enslaved people. The slaves were used to transport the messages from one point to the other since they could not be able to encrypt the content, only the intended targets.
With years progressing, the classical Caesar Cipher in which the Roman Monarch communicated with its noble and military men using coded messages. The modernization of the application came in 1970 when Sir Jefferson brought in the idea of the 36 wheels consisting of the alphabet leading to more complexes encoding (Azad, 2021). The cipher was recognized during World War II, where participants used it to pass secret messages that their enemies could not decode or figure out their tactics.
In the era of computers, cryptographic practices took a more complex process and stricture. The advancement of modern technology has made this application a necessity in communication. The advancement captured the 128-bit encryption, which was more complex than ancient practices (Dooley, 2018). William captures how the modern cryptographic system utilizes three independent dimensions (Stallings, 2017). The dimensions entail key numbers used, processing the plaintext, and transformation of ciphertext from plaintext. All the dimensions offer vital operations towards enhanced and advanced protection and security of data.
References
Azad, U. (2021). History of cryptography. Linux Hint. https://linuxhint.com/history-of-cryptography/
Dooley, J. F. (2018). History of cryptography and cryptanalysis: Codes, Ciphers, and their algorithms. Springer.
Stallings, W. (2017). Cryptography & Network Security GE (7th ed., pp. 19 – 202). Pearson Australia Pty Ltd.
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