Cryptography is a method of storing and transmitting data in a particular form so that only those for whom it is intended can read and process it.

Modern cryptography concerns itself with the following four objectives:

1.  Confidentiality
2. Integrity
3.  Non-repudiation
4.  Authentication
   

   Risk Factors for Cryptography Systems

   There is no simple formula for determining how safe a specific cryptosystem is from attacks and potential security compromises. However, the following factors affect the risk of successful attacks on cryptosystems:

   1. Symmetric key length
   2. Public key length
   3. Key lifetimes
   4. Amount of plaintext known to attackers
   5. Strength of the security technology implementation
   6. The randomness of generated keys
   7. Strength of the security protocols
   8. Secure storage of private keys