Social engineering vs. cryptography: why protect not just algorithms, but users too

Abstract

Most people now cannot imagine life without the internet. Yet, many fail to recognize its dangers. Research focuses on social engineering and cryptography, and why mathematical algorithms alone cannot guarantee online safety. First, let us discuss cryptography, the practice of securing information through encryption. Originating in ancient times with methods like the Caesar cipher, modern cryptography relies on complex mathematical principles, such as prime number factorization, to protect digital data. Having been developed over the past 50 years, it underpins secure internet communication today.