3: MAKING (AND BREAKING) ENCRYPTION
Ever since nations decided to play game of war and send their people into battle for their own political reasons,armies have used secret codes to communicate with their commanders without revealing information to their enemies.
Because war isn't likely to disappear anytime soon,every country in the world continues to develop encryption techniques for creating codes and breaking the codes of others,if the world of James bond,espionage and choack-and-dagger spies appeals to your sense of adventure, consider a career in encryption.
Encryption is the art of converting plain-text information into unreadable garbage (which often resembles tax forms or legal documents) so that no one but your intended recipient can read it. Then by using a secret password or code phrase, the recipient of your encrypted message can unscramble and read it.
The art of encrypting data involves plenty of math (usually focusing on prime numbers). If you plan to pursue a career in encryption, earn some graduate degrees in advanced mathematics and practice your C/C++ programming skills. Then get a Job working for the military,a defence contractor,a software encryption publisher, or a security agency such as the National Security Agency (at
www.nsa.gov).
The National Security Agency (open to U.S citizens only) is the premier code-making and code-breaking agency in the world, housing the most supercomputers in one location.if you know programming, advanced math or any foreign languages, you can use your abilities to read intercepted messages. Track enemy submarine acoustic signatures in the Atlantic ocean, or search through databases to spot the movements and operations of international terrorists.
If you find encryption fascinating but you'd rather not help your country prepare for war, consider putting your encryption skills to use in the international banking and financial world,where encryption protects electronic transactions worth billions of dollars every day.
For more information about encryption, visit one of the web sites. Many of these sites offer C/C++ source code to various encryption algorithms, so you can practice both your programming and encryption skills at the same time.
-CypherNet(at
www.cypher.net)
-Central intelligence agency (at
www.cia.gov)
-North American Cryptography Archives (at www.cryptography.org)-
offer plenty of encryption programs and encryption algorithm source code to help you learn as much as possible about encryption
-International PGP Home page (at
www.pgpi.com)
-RSA (at
www.rsasecurity.com)
"Skills make the difference"