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As illustrated in the graph, thumb drive users regularly carry confidential
information for work purposes. If the USB drive is lost or stolen and the data is
not protected, then companies can be hurt if sensitive information falls in the
wrong hands
[3]
.
Thus, a method needs to be implemented so that data can be kept restricted
from people who are not supposed to have access. Data encryption provides the
best method to protect confidential information.
What is Encryption?
Encryption is an algorithmic scheme in which data is converted into a format that
has no resemblance to the original data. An encryption key provides instructions
for how to encode the data. Figure 2 illustrates the basic encryption process.
Figure 2: Encryption Process
The key must be re-used in order to transform the data back into the original
readable format. This step is known as decryption. Both the sender and the
receiver must possess the encryption key in order to perform the encryption and
decryption process.
Why Encryption is Needed
Long before the advent of personal computers, or even electricity for that matter,
there was a need to transform plain text messages into a format that only the
intended receiver could read. For example, war-time spies who sent messages
back to their home governments often needed to ensure that the enemy never
intercepted these messages in order to preserve the sender’s safety.
A noteworthy historical example is the German military’s use of the Enigma
encryption machine during World War II. The Enigma machine was a mechanical