Number theory based modern cryptography: RSA and Diffie-Hellman algorithms

Abstract

Abstract. In the twenty-first century, the Internet has grown rapidly. Cryptography, with the protection of number theory as an important guarantee for the Internet, is critical to study, and algorithms must be updated to keep up with the evolution of the digital world. With the rapid spread of the Internet, security flaws in certain algorithms have been exposed, generating widespread alarm. This literature review focuses on the introductions of the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) and Diffie-Hellman algorithms, integrating and summarizing previous research. The content of this literature review includes an introduction to algorithms and number theory, specific applications of these algorithms, and security issues associated with them. Finally, this literature review concludes that RSA and Diffie-Hellman are inefficient and insecure in some sectors of application, necessitating the use of alternative algorithms or the replacement of some unique encryption methods to achieve the desired level of safety.