Cryptographic systems tend to involve both algorithm and a secret value. The secret value isknown as the key.

The reason for having a key in addition to an algorithm is that it is difficultto keep devising new algorithms that will allow reversible scrambling of information, and it isdifficult to quickly explain a newly devised algorithm to a person with whom youd like tostart communicating securely .The concept of a key is analogous to the combination for acombination lock. Although the concept of a combination lock is well known as we cannotopen a combinational lock easily without knowing the combination.TYPES OF CRYPTOGRAPHIC FUNCTIONS: Decryption is the reverse of encryption, and Hash functions-it involves the useof zero keys. Secret key functions-it involves the use of one key. Public key functions-it involves the use of two keys.SECRET KEY CRYPTOGRAPHYSecret key cryptography involves the use of single key. For example, given a message (called plaintext) and the key, encryption produces unintelligible data (called cipher text), which isabout the same length as the plain text. Secure communication channelKEYKeyP l a i n t e x t C i p h e r t e x t C i p h e r t e x t P l a i n t e x t E n c r y p t i o n D e c r y p t i o n

Algorithm algorithmFig. (iii). Secret key cryptography. PUBLICKEYCRYPTOGRAPHY: Public key cryptography is sometimes also referred to as asymmetriccryptography. Public key cryptography is a relatively new field, invented in 1975. In publickey, each individual has tow keys: a private key that need not be revealed to anyone, and a public key that is preferable known to the entire world.C i p h e r t e x t C i p h e r t e x t E ( P ) E ( P ) U s e r A U s

e r B Hash algorithms Hash algorithms are also known as message digits or one-way transformations.A c r yp t o g r a p h i c h a s h f u n c t i o n i s a ma t h e ma t i c s t r a n s f o r ma t i o n t h a t t a k e s a message of arbitrary length (transformed into strings of bits) and computes from it a fixedlength (short) number.

Cryptographic has functions which can be used to generate a MAC to protectthe integrity of messages transmitted over insecure media in much the same way a secret keycryptography.If we merely sent the message and used the hash of the message as a MAC, thiswo u l d n o t b e s e c u r e , s i n c e t h e h a s h f u n c t i o n i s w e l l k n o wn . Th e b a d g u y c a n mo d i f y t h e message and compute a new hash for the new message, and transmit that. Conclusion All the three techniques discussed in this presentation i.e. network security; cryptography andfirewalls are most widely used and implemented networks security tools. Each of them had itsown significance in its own mode. For example, a single organization or establishment tomaintain privacy of information within itself can use cryptography. These methods are beingu s e d t o p r o v i d e c o n f i d e n t i a l i t y r e q u i r e d b y t h e n e t wo r k . T h e r e i s a l o t o f s c o p e f o r t h e development in this field. Digital signatures are one of the latest developments in the field of c r y p t o g r a p h y . W i t h t h e i n c r e a s e i n n u m b e r o f c o m p u t e r s , a n d t h e u s a g e o f c o m p u t e r s worldwide the demand for network security is increasing exponentially. This has led to thedevelopment of major companies like Symantec Corporation, MacAfee etc. So this field is putting up a big employment potential for the young generation of today. And not to forget,there is no end to the complexity of this subject, which

means that any amount of research willnot go futile for the world of computers.BOOKS:Computer networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet-JamesF.Kurose, Keith W.Ross.Networks for Computer Scientists and Engineers: Youlu Zheng, Shakil Akhtar.WEBSITES: