What do Cryptographers do?

Cryptography is both an art and a science – the best of both worlds. It involves the study of techniques used to communicate electronically. What’s special about cryptography is that this communication is all private. It’s written in such a way that other parties should be unable to decipher what was said or stored.

The need for hidden communication can be traced back through history. In fact, 4000 years ago, the Egyptians invented the hieroglyph so that secret codes could be passed onto kings, without any unwanted ears listening in!

So, what do cryptographers do? It’s the job of the cryptographer to figure out ways to hide the content of messages and other information. They don’t decipher a message that has already been hidden using an unknown key – that’s the job of the cryptanalyst.

Do you want to be part of the “in-crowd”? Let’s study the cryptography basics to see how you can begin this unique hobby.

 Cryptography Basics

The idea of cryptography is to ensure that only selected people are able to understand a message. Anyone not in the loop wouldn’t have two clues about what something is supposed to say, even if it’s sitting right in front of them!

Here are the cryptography basics you need to know if you’re interested in an exciting new career.

1. To be successful in cryptography, you’ll need advanced qualifications in mathematics and formal training in fields relating to cryptography.
2. You should enjoy working alone or in small groups. Cryptography isn’t famed as being a highly social job, you have to be able to get your head down and work for hours at a computer.
3. You get to work on super cool projects. (But I can’t talk about them, it’s a secret – shh!)
4. You may be able to become a cryptographer fresh out of university, as long as you have relevant degrees in disciplines such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering or Mathematics.
5. To really move your career along, try and gain some background knowledge or work experience in areas like statistics, algebra, algorithm design and number theory.
6. You should be highly skilled in solving complex puzzles, analytical thinking and computer programming.

Why Learn Cryptography?

Because the world needs cryptographers! Cryptography covers many areas of our day-to-day life like banking transactions, website passwords and online shopping. It helps people like me and you to stay safe from identity thefts and fraud, so we feel secure when sharing our information online.

You can also be part of a much bigger picture…

Depending on the job you manage to bag, you could be a key component in government security, helping to protect entire nations and keep information secret when it needs to be. You get to be the person that develops algorithms to protect vital information from hackers and terrorists. Help the government solve security-related issues and build a barrier against hackers.

The job can offer personal benefits to you, too. It’s a way to really keep your mind active. (Like, really keep your mind active!) We know that puzzles are good for training the brain, and this position will keep your brain working at its hardest. You will constantly be learning and growing as you take on more responsibility.

Not only that, but a career in cryptography can be financially rewarding. You’re putting your specialised skills and knowledge to great use, and your employer will pay you handsomely for your work.

Make Money from Cryptography

Cryptography can be an extremely lucrative career. What’s even better is that you can begin earning money as soon as you achieve the qualifications you need!

The never-ending tornado of technology is calling out for more cryptographers than we needed in the past. This is especially true in the area of e-commerce. That solid padlock on your browser bar tells you that when you type in your credit card details, they will be unreadable to third parties.

As a cryptographer, you can be employed on a full-time, part-time or contractual basis. So many employers have to ensure that their information is stored safely and securely, so are crying out for a cryptographer to join their team. Here are some organisations that you may end up working for:

• Government organisations
• Armed services
• Banks and financial institutions
• Any company that holds their customer’s personal details online
• Universities, colleges and schools
• IT consultants and software developers
• Money transferring services

Cryptography is a complex and detailed field. You might want to satisfy your interest by doing some background research online. That way, you can begin to understand the scientific terminology and be able to tell me the difference between ciphertext, bits and plaintext.

However, to really get stuck in and make a career out of this fascinating field, I suggest you ensure you have the relevant degrees and the right personality type to be successful. You never know what top-secret projects you’ll get to work on!