The process of encryption scrambles data in such a way that the original information can only be recovered using a corresponding decryption process and the correct key. Encryption and decryption are common techniques in cryptography and the scientific discipline behind secure communications.
A key is a long sequence of bits used for encryption/decryption algorithms. Such as the following 40-bit key:
01001010 01100001 10001110 10011100 01110101
The encryption algorithm converts the original message mathematically based on the key to create an encrypted message. The decryption algorithm restores an encrypted message to its original form.
Encryption on the Internet
The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is used for secure transactions like ecommerce and banking using a key for encryption and a different key for decryption. Because SSL encryption depends so heavily on keys, the effectiveness or strength of SSL encryption depends on key length (number of bits in a key). To decode an SSL communication, one only needs the correct decoding key.
In cryptography, a common decoding technique is brute-force decryption using a computer try every possible key combination one by one. 2-bit encryption, for example, involves four possible key values.
Compared to 40-bit encryption, 128-bit encryption offers 88 additional bits of key length which provides 309,485,009,821,345,068,724,781,056 possible combinations required for a brute-force crack.
Security experts estimate that to crack an 128-bit encryption will require the computer resources of NASA and plenty of time.
Image Encryption
Image encryption is the most secure solution for storing images on a web server. Encrypted images cannot be displayed without first being decrypted otherwise they cannot be displayed, making any images stored on a server not only secure from unauthorized linking by the public, but they are also secure from web hosting staff and your web master.
First developed by ArtistScope in 1998, Secure Image is the only solution that will display encrypted images on a web page.
Encrypted images created by ArtistScope copy protection solutions cannot be displayed in any image viewer except ArtistScope's security viewer and then only from the owner's web site. The keycode for decryption is embedded into the image and when loaded, the security applet checks the keycode against the url displaying the web site. If the encrypted image's keycode does not match the web site, the image is not displayed.
Encrypted images stored on your web site are safe from staff and your web host. They are also safe from retrieval from browser cache (temporary internet files) because the image in cache is the encrypted version and not one that has been decrypted. Only ArtistScope's security applet can decrypt the image and it does that only while displaying it on an authorized web site. The encrypted image is view only.
ArtistScope ensures that only licensed users can use the full version of their image encryption programs by custom compiling each program or order. Licence codes are not distributed. Instead the keycodes are embedded into the compiled software, ensuring that the technology is not distributed to hackers.
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