Blog Post Dec 23, 2024

Why cryptography is important and how it’s continually evolving

Cryptography is fundamental to modern cybersecurity, forming the foundation for secure communication and data protection in a world increasingly reliant on digital technologies. Its importance cannot be overstated, as it safeguards sensitive information, preserves privacy, and builds trust in the digital world. As cyber threats evolve, cryptography continues to advance, addressing emerging challenges which have the potential to disrupt traditional encryption methods.

1. What is cryptography?

2. Types of cryptography

3. The role of cryptography in digital certificates

4. How and why cryptography is changing

5. Sectigo’s commitment to evolving cryptographic standards

What is cryptography?

At its most basic level, cryptography uses coded algorithms to convert data into unreadable formats, obscuring potentially vulnerable information and making it accessible only to authorized parties. The term "cryptography" is derived from the Greek word for "hidden" (kryptos) and directly translates to "hidden writing," as explained by IBM. This practice is closely linked to the powerful process of encryption, by which readable data (known as plaintext) is converted to unreadable data (known as ciphertext).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes cryptography as the "discipline that embodies the principles, means, and methods for the transformation of data," adding that cryptography aims to prevent the unauthorized use (or undetected modification) of sensitive data.

Why it’s important

When implemented strategically, cryptographic solutions promise many advantages:

Confidentiality. Cryptography enables confidentiality by using encryption to transform sensitive information into an unreadable format, ensuring that only authorized individuals with the correct decryption key can access and understand the data. This prevents unauthorized access and protects critical information from being exposed.
Integrity. Users and organizations need to feel confident that data will not be altered or otherwise tampered with in transmission. This quality is known as data integrity — and it is upheld through hash functions, message authentication codes (MAC), and other cryptographic strategies, preventing tampering during transmission.
Authentication. Cryptography plays a fundamental role in authentication by facilitating the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and enabling secure digital signatures. These cryptographic mechanisms verify identities, ensuring that users, devices, or systems are who they claim to be. This builds the foundation for secure digital interactions by establishing trust and preventing unauthorized access.

Types of cryptography

Cryptographic methods are typically categorized as symmetric or asymmetric. Both types of cryptography offer distinct advantages, and, as we'll discuss below, these can sometimes be integrated into hybrid solutions.

Symmetric cryptography: Often referred to as "secret key cryptography," symmetric cryptography relies on a single key to handle encryption and decryption. Because this solution uses simpler algorithms, it tends to be faster than asymmetric alternatives — but with a caveat: symmetric cryptography presents significant security concerns. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to securely distribute a single key to multiple authorized parties. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) provides a familiar example of symmetric cryptography. Established by NIST in 2001, this approach relies on fixed-size blocks and supports multiple key sizes. The most secure is easily the 256-bit key, which gains enhanced security through its extended key length.
Asymmetric cryptography: Also known as “public key cryptography”, asymmetric cryptography leverage key pairs that include both public and private keys. Used to encrypt messages, the public key is widely available. The private key remains secret but can be used by authorized parties to decrypt messages originally encrypted via the public key. This approach is favored because it is far more secure. Well-known examples of asymmetric algorithms include RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography).
Hybrid systems: Certain scenarios benefit from combining symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic methods, a practice known as hybrid cryptography. A common example is the SSL/TLS handshakes process, where asymmetric encryption is needed to establish a secure connection for the initial handshake. Once the connection is secured, symmetric cryptography takes over for the ongoing exchange of data. Each handshake aims to establish a robust and secure connection between the client and server, ensuring confidentiality and integrity throughout the session using SSL/TLS protocols.

The role of cryptography in digital certificates

Digital certificates serve as a practical application of these cryptographic methods, playing a crucial role in securing online communications and verifying identities.

Asymmetric cryptography forms the foundation of PKI, which underpins digital certificates by using key pairs to authenticate entities and establish trust. The public key in a certificate is openly shared, enabling secure interactions, while the private key remains protected, making sure that only authorized parties can decrypt data.

Symmetric cryptography complements this process, especially in hybrid systems like SSL/TLS protocols. In these scenarios, asymmetric cryptography secures the initial handshake and establishes a connection, after which symmetric cryptography takes over to encrypt ongoing data exchanges efficiently. Together, these cryptographic methods provide the security, trust, and performance that digital certificates deliver in modern cybersecurity environments.

By integrating these cryptographic techniques, digital certificates not only safeguard sensitive information but also establish the trust and security needed for seamless digital transactions and communications. Below, we explore their key contributions in these and other areas.

Secures digital transactions and protects data

Highly valued in fields like finance and eCommerce, cryptography facilitates secure digital transactions by authenticating identities and encrypting communication, with digital certificates playing a key role in verifying trust and enabling encrypted exchanges. At the same time, cryptography safeguards sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), during transmission, preventing unauthorized access and supporting compliance with privacy regulations. These combined capabilities make cryptography essential for securing digital interactions and protecting data.

Helps build digital trust

Cryptographic strategies validate identities and websites, reinforcing the trust essential for secure digital interactions. Through digital certificates, these methods ensure users connect with legitimate entities, which forms the foundation of all digital interactions and is a cornerstone of digital security. Public digital certificates such as Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV) are issued and validated by Certificate Authorities (CAs) like Sectigo, working to establish user trust and secure online interactions.

Enables compliance with regulations

Cryptography is built into several of today's most important and recognizable standards. These regulation frameworks provide essential guidelines for safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring data security. Adhering to these standards is not only important for protecting data but also for avoiding significant penalties and legal consequences that can result from non-compliance

Mitigates cybersecurity threats

In a threat-filled digital landscape, a suitable cryptographic strategy helps reduce the risks of attacks from sophisticated/emerging cyber threats. Tools like automated certificate lifecycle management (CLM) systems, such as Sectigo Certificate Manager (SCM), streamline security operations.

How and why cryptography is changing

Cryptography is far from static. Change is built into the very structure of cryptography, which represents one of the digital space's most dynamic and adaptable disciplines. Algorithms are periodically updated (as are protocols and standards) to reflect and stay ahead of new challenges or threats.

Shorter certificate lifespans

SSL certificate lifespans are expected to shrink considerably in the near future, with both Google and Apple advocating for a dramatically shorter certificate lifecycle. While Google has long made its intention to establish 90-day certificates known (originally in the Moving Forward, Together roadmap), Apple’s proposal goes above and beyond with certificate lifespans extending a mere 47 days.

This may seem problematic for enterprises that are already struggling to keep up with certificate renewals, but there's a good reason for promoting shorter lifespans: this reduces the window of opportunity for threat actors to exploit compromised certificates. Recent shifts towards automated digital certificate management will make the accelerating pace of renewals easier to handle.

Emerging cyber threats

Cryptography has grown more sophisticated in recent years — but unfortunately, the same is true of cyberattacks. Threat actors have uncovered a variety of advanced tools and techniques, leaving many organizations at greater risk even after adopting once-effective encryption and authentication strategies.

The good news? Cryptography is also advancing at a rapid pace, implementing advanced encryption techniques in hopes of safeguarding users and organizations. Tools like Sectigo SCM ensure organizations remain agile against such threats.

Authorities such as NIST are also constantly refining their standards and guidelines to reflect emerging threats.

Rise of quantum computing

Drawing on the principles of quantum mechanics, quantum computing promises to replace traditional computing bits with quantum bits (qubits). These qubits can simultaneously exist in multiple states, allowing quantum computers to process vast amounts of data at a much faster rate. Quantum computers hold immense potential for exciting innovation, but they also present a huge security challenge: the ability to easily crack once-trusted algorithms such as RSA and ECC.

Since public-key cryptography remains greatly reliant on RSA and ECC, proactive changes are needed to safeguard data before quantum computers render these classic methods vulnerable—a threat experts estimate could materialize within the next decade. Compounding this urgency is the growing prevalence of "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks, where threat actors collect encrypted data today in anticipation of breaking it with quantum computers in the future. This tactic emphasizes the need to adopt quantum-safe encryption now, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure even as technology advances.

Thankfully, solutions are in the works. NIST, who is at the forefront of the effort to promote post-quantum cryptography, has already announced their winning quantum-resistant encryption algorithms.

Crypto agility

The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving and, in recent years, the pace of change has clearly accelerated. To keep up, enterprises need to achieve a quality known as crypto agility, which determines the ability to quickly adapt to new algorithms or protocols. Agile organizations are better equipped to adjust their approach based on emerging threats or regulatory standards. Many cryptographic solutions promote agility, including automated certificate lifecycle management.

Advancements in cryptographic standards

Regulatory bodies such as NIST and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) regularly update their guidelines to reflect industry best practices as they relate to emerging trends or challenges. NIST's post-quantum efforts offer the perfect example, with an ambitious standardization project striving for cryptographic standards that will remain secure as we enter the post-quantum era.

Similarly, the ISO has established a framework for quantum key distribution via ISO/IEC 23837-1:2023. Other ISO guidelines cover cryptographic controls in the context of information security management systems (ISMS), block ciphers, and key management systems.

Sectigo’s commitment to evolving cryptographic standards

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, cryptography remains the cornerstone of digital security. Sectigo's innovative solutions empower organizations to stay agile and secure, offering tools like Sectigo Certificate Manager and Quantum Labs to navigate the future of cryptography with confidence. Ready to enhance your cryptographic practices? Learn more about Sectigo’s offerings and take the next step toward robust security.