On Randomness
February 24, 2007 · by Scott Fradkin
What does it mean to be random?
To most observers as long as numbers/characters/events don’t show any type of descernable pattern while being observed, those items would be considered to be random. Coin flips are random. Dice rolls are random.
There are official definitions of the word random.
From www.dictionary.com:
- Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective
- Of or relating to a type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.
- Of or relating to an event in which all outcomes are equally likely, as in the testing of a blood sample for the presence of a substance.
Why is this even important? Randomness is the key to good security. Random numbers are used to generate keys used in encryption, they are used in generating hashes, they are used in stream ciphers, and in other areas of cryptography. In order for messages, data, and identities to remain secure, the random numbers and bytes need to be as unpredictable as possible.
This area of cryptography and mathematics is widely studied. People are becoming more and more interested in privacy and want their data to be secure.
There are many different ways to generate random data. Some are very predicable, some are unpredictable, some are fairly secure, and yet others are considered to be cryptographically secure. The need for the different types depends upon what kind of security is needed for your data.
Stay tuned to future entries about Randomness and how random data can be generated.
Sources:
Wikipedia(Randomness)
Wikipedia(Random number generator)
Wikipedia(Cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator)
Bruce Schneier, Applied Cryptography
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