What Is Cryptography? Key Concepts for Cybersecurity Leaders

This article explains why cryptography remains critical in 2025, outlines core cryptographic mechanisms (symmetric/asymmetric encryption, hashing, digital signatures), common attack vectors (brute force, MitM, hash collisions, padding oracle), compliance implications (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, NIST frameworks), and operational best practices (use modern algorithms, enforce TLS 1.2+, encrypt data at rest/in transit, rotate keys and certificates); it is an informational and vendor-promotional piece highlighting SecurityScorecard’s Supply Chain Detection and Response offering.