What Is Encryption/Decryption And How It Is Used In ASP.NET

Encryption is the process of translating plain text data into something that appears to be random and meaningless. Decryption is the process of translating a random and meaningless data to plain text. Why do we need to use this encryption and decryption processes? In a Client -Server Application, security is a very important factor.

For example, when sending the confidential data such as password between the Client and Server, we need to make sure that the data is secured & protected.

By using this process, we can hide the original data and display some junk data. Based on this, we can provide some security for our data. For this, we are using the encryption and decryption techniques, which are done by using a technique called Cryptography.

Cryptography is the science of writing in the secret code and is an ancient art; the first document made use of cryptography in writing, which dates back to circa 1900 B.C.

Cryptography is necessary, when communicating over any an untrusted medium, which includes just about any network, particularly the Internet.

There are five primary functions of Cryptography which are:

• Privacy/confidentiality: Ensuring that no one can read the message, except the intended receiver.
• Authentication: The process of proving one's identity.
• Integrity: Assuring the receiver that the received message has not been altered in any way from the original.
• Non-repudiation: A mechanism to prove that the sender really sent this message.
• Key exchange: The method by which crypto keys are shared between the sender and receiver.

In Cryptography, we start with the unencrypted data, referred to as a plaintext. Plaintext is encrypted into cipher text, which will in turn (usually) be decrypted into a usable plaintext.

The encryption and decryption is based upon the type of Cryptography scheme, being employed and some form of key. For those who like formulas, this process is sometimes written as:

C = Ek(P)
P = Dk(C)

Where P = plaintext, C = cipher text, E = the encryption method, D = the decryption method, and
k = the key.

Now, I am showing you an example Windows Application, which Uses encryption and decryption.

When we input an encrypted password, we will get the decrypted one.

Step 1: Open Visual Studio 2008.



Step 2: Click "New Project" > "Windows" >"Windows Forms Application".
Step 3: Now, click Solution Explorer.



Step 4: frmMain.cs page will look like:





Step 5: Now, write the code, given below, in the frmMain.cs page.