Click the above to follow us!

Google Senior Expert: Enhancing Security by 85% with PyCrypto Encryption Algorithms

In this data-driven era, protecting information security has become increasingly important. Today, let’s talk about an incredibly powerful Python encryption library—PyCrypto. It is said that using it can enhance security by 85%, making it a nightmare for hackers!

What is PyCrypto?

PyCrypto is a Python encryption library that includes various encryption algorithms, such as symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption, and hash functions. Using it to encrypt data is like putting a bulletproof vest on your information; others won’t be able to understand it even if they try to peek.

Let’s see how to install this amazing tool:

pip install pycryptodome

Friendly reminder: Some older versions may be called pycrypto, but now we use pycryptodome, which has more powerful features.

AES Encryption: Protecting Your Little Secrets

AES is the star player among symmetric encryption algorithms, known for its speed and high security. Let’s use it to encrypt some little secrets:

from Crypto.Cipher import AES
from Crypto.Random import get_random_bytes
# Generate a random key
key = get_random_bytes(16)
# Create an AES cipher
cipher = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_EAX)
# Data to encrypt
data = b"This is a secret that cannot be known by others"
# Encrypt
ciphertext, tag = cipher.encrypt_and_digest(data)
print(f"Encrypted data: {ciphertext}")
print(f"Verification tag: {tag}")

This code looks quite impressive, but it’s actually very simple. First, we generate a random key, then create an AES cipher with that key. Finally, we feed the data to the cipher, which outputs the encrypted data and a verification tag. This tag acts like a fingerprint for the encrypted data, used to verify if the data has been tampered with.

RSA: The Big Shot of Public Key Encryption

After discussing symmetric encryption, let’s take a look at the representative of asymmetric encryption—RSA. It uses two keys: a public key and a private key. The public key can be shared everywhere, while the private key should be kept secret.

Let’s see how to use RSA for encryption:

from Crypto.PublicKey import RSA
from Crypto.Cipher import PKCS1_OAEP
import binascii
# Generate RSA key pair
key = RSA.generate(2048)
private_key = key.export_key()
public_key = key.publickey().export_key()
# Encrypt with public key
recipient_key = RSA.import_key(public_key)
cipher_rsa = PKCS1_OAEP.new(recipient_key)
enc_data = cipher_rsa.encrypt(b"Secret information encrypted with RSA")
print(f"Encrypted data: {binascii.hexlify(enc_data)}")

This code first generates a pair of RSA keys, then uses the public key to encrypt the data. The encrypted data can only be decrypted with the private key, making it very secure.

Hash Functions: The Fingerprint of Data

After discussing encryption, let’s look at hash functions. They act like a fingerprint for data; even changing a single letter will result in a completely different hash value.

Let’s try SHA256:

from Crypto.Hash import SHA256
# Create a hash object
hash_obj = SHA256.new()
# Update with the data to hash
hash_obj.update(b"Data for which we want to calculate the hash value")
# Get the hash value
hash_value = hash_obj.hexdigest()
print(f"SHA256 hash value: {hash_value}")

This code creates a SHA256 hash object, feeds the data to it, and it outputs a hash value. This hash value can be used to verify data integrity, such as checking if a file has been tampered with during download.

Friendly reminder: Hashing is one-way; you can turn data into a hash value, but you cannot revert the hash value back to the original data. Therefore, it is commonly used for storing passwords.

Digital Signatures: Who Sent the Message

Finally, let’s take a look at digital signatures. They can prove who sent the message and that it has not been tampered with.

from Crypto.PublicKey import RSA
from Crypto.Signature import pkcs1_15
from Crypto.Hash import SHA256
# Generate RSA key pair
key = RSA.generate(2048)
private_key = key.export_key()
public_key = key.publickey().export_key()
# Message to sign
message = b"This is an important message that needs to be signed"
# Calculate the hash of the message
hash_obj = SHA256.new(message)
# Sign with the private key
signer = pkcs1_15.new(RSA.import_key(private_key))
signature = signer.sign(hash_obj)
print(f"Digital signature: {signature.hex()}")

This code first generates an RSA key pair, then signs the hash of the message with the private key. When someone receives the message, they can use the public key to verify the signature, thus confirming whether the message was genuinely sent by you and if it has been tampered with.

That’s all for today’s journey with PyCrypto. By effectively using these encryption algorithms, your data will be like wearing an invisibility cloak, making it hard for hackers to find. However, remember that even the best locks can be vulnerable if the keys are lost, so key management is also very important. Next time, I will share more about key management!