Ease Me Into Cryptography Part 1: Buzzwords and Hash Function

You know what it’s like being in security, and someone asks you what you do. Now imagine the responses when I tell people I do cryptography. And it’s not just outsiders. Even within a techie crowd, common responses range from “Ooof, that sounds complicated” to “I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot stick”. I usually laugh and assure people that, although it can be complex, the complexity is surmountable. Even my reassuring comments are met with disbelief and the persistence of a feeling of intimidation by the topic of cryptography. I would love nothing more than for my words to be met with intrigue rather than hesitation. So I’m here to prove to you that crypto is tackle-able, and you can be the one to tackle it.

Cryptography is no longer a convenient addition. It is becoming more and more of a necessity for security and privacy. Organizations and consumers are demanding it. So, if you must learn it eventually, why not start now and why not learn the easy way. I fully admit that cryptography sounds intimidating, especially when it comes to adding it into your code. However, I firmly believe that the intimidation is solely because it is in an unfamiliar context. If the concepts can be broken down into bite-sized pieces, then our brains can more easily consume the crypto elephant. “Ease Me Into Cryptography”, a series of introductory articles for InfoSec professionals, will do just that.

Taking the first bite

One of my favorite subreddits is called “Explain Like I’m Five” (ELIF). The subreddit isn’t intended to be condescending but rather offers a place for people to say, “I don’t get this, but I want to. Can you break it down, so I can make sense of it?” I think this strategy works, because when (Read more...)