- cryptography
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—cryptographer, cryptographist, n. —cryptographic /krip'teuh graf"ik/, cryptographical, cryptographal, adj. —cryptographically, adv./krip tog"reuh fee/, n.1. the science or study of the techniques of secret writing, esp. code and cipher systems, methods, and the like. Cf. cryptanalysis (def. 2).2. the procedures, processes, methods, etc., of making and using secret writing, as codes or ciphers.3. anything written in a secret code, cipher, or the like.[1635-45; CRYPTO- + -GRAPHY]
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Practice of the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code in order to render them unintelligible to all but the intended receiver.Cryptography may also refer to the art of cryptanalysis, by which cryptographic codes are broken. Collectively, the science of secure and secret communications, involving both cryptography and cryptanalysis, is known as cryptology. The principles of cryptography are today applied to the encryption of fax, television, and computer network communications. In particular, the secure exchange of computer data is of great importance to banking, government, and commercial communications. See also data encryption.* * *
Universalium. 2010.