Encryption/Decryption using Openssl

Openssl/SHA2

        Encryption is the process of translating plain text data (plaintext) into something that appears to be random and meaningless (ciphertext). Decryption is the process of converting ciphertext back to plaintext.        

        The goal of every encryption algorithm is to make it as difficult as possible to decrypt the generated ciphertext without using the key. If a really good encryption algorithm is used, then there's no technique significantly better than methodically trying every possible key. For such an algorithm, the longer the key, the more difficult it is to decrypt a piece of ciphertext without possessing the key.  

       
        OpenSSL is a software library for applications that provide secure communications over computer networks against eavesdropping, and identify the party at the other end. It is widely used by Internet servers, including the majority of HTTPS websites.

         SHA 256 is a part of the SHA 2 family of algorithms, where SHA stands for Secure Hash Algorithm.

        We'll be using the openssl and sha256 encryption tools to create/inspect key pairs, encrypt/decrypt, and finally sign and verify our work. (Click on the video below to see this in action.)