Encryption and Cryptography: The Past, Present, and Future | Part 1

Back in the days of World War I, MI6(SSB-the Secret Intelligence Service) discovered that semen could actually serve as invisible ink. Yes, you read that right. MI6, the British intelligence service, got a bit creative when Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming suggested this unique method to hide secret messages. Apparently, it was a clever way to keep things under wraps from the Central Powers, although today, it might make you chuckle or scratch your head in disbelief. Luckily, in the age of the internet, we’ve moved on to more sophisticated, and let’s say less awkward, methods of keeping secrets. But it’s proof that spies have always been good at thinking outside the box.

While the story above is an example of steganography, today’s topic is different. Today, we will discuss how, in this age of the internet, we hide messages from others, not only on our phones or computers but also on the internet.

What is Encryption?

Encryption is the technique used to encrypt data so that it cannot be accessed by someone for whom it is not intended. It has been used since the ancient age of empires, but the first noted use of encryption was by Egyptians in BC 1900. Hieroglyphs carved into the tomb of Khnumhotep II displayed non-standard symbols considered to be a form of…