How Encryption Was Designed to Protect Data

An illustrated inventions story from Wonder Inventions — free to read, with narration.

How Encryption Was Designed to Protect Data — an illustrated inventions story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

How Encryption Was Designed to Protect Data — book cover — Wonder Inventions
How Encryption Was Designed to Protect Data — an illustrated inventions story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

Page 1

Nikolai slumped onto the sofa, tossing his game controller aside. "Ugh, level failed again!" he groaned. His mom, Ishani, chuckled, scrolling through her phone.
Nikolai slumped onto the sofa, tossing his game controller aside. "Ugh, level failed again!" he groaned. His mom, Ishani, chuckled, scrolling through her phone. "Maybe you should try a different strategy, kiddo," she suggested, then paused. "Hey, did you know that today is World Encryption Day?" Nikolai perked up, his eyes widening. "Encryption? Wait, who even invented that? What did people DO before their messages were safe?"

Nikolai slumped onto the sofa, tossing his game controller aside. "Ugh, level failed again!" he groaned. His mom, Ishani, chuckled, scrolling through her phone. "Maybe you should try a different strategy, kiddo," she suggested, then paused. "Hey, did you know that today is World Encryption Day?" Nikolai perked up, his eyes widening. "Encryption? Wait, who even invented that? What did people DO before their messages were safe?"

Page 2

Nikolai leaped up and raced to his room, which was filled with posters of space and computer parts. He yanked a large, leather-bound book from his bookshelf—the…
Nikolai leaped up and raced to his room, which was filled with posters of space and computer parts. He yanked a large, leather-bound book from his bookshelf—the 'Wonder Inventions Encyclopedia.' It glowed faintly as he flipped it open to the 'Computers' section. "Here we go!" he exclaimed, tracing the title of the chapter with his finger. Suddenly, the room began to spin, and a bright light enveloped him.

Nikolai leaped up and raced to his room, which was filled with posters of space and computer parts. He yanked a large, leather-bound book from his bookshelf—the 'Wonder Inventions Encyclopedia.' It glowed faintly as he flipped it open to the 'Computers' section. "Here we go!" he exclaimed, tracing the title of the chapter with his finger. Suddenly, the room began to spin, and a bright light enveloped him.

Page 3

Nikolai stumbled, landing hard on cobblestones. He looked up to see Ishani next to him, brushing off her jeans. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around in…
Nikolai stumbled, landing hard on cobblestones. He looked up to see Ishani next to him, brushing off her jeans. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around in confusion. "By Jove, this city feels strange!" Nikolai gasped, pulling out his encyclopedia and pointing to an image. "We must be in London, sometime in the 1970s! Back then, data encryption was just getting started to secure sensitive data!"

Nikolai stumbled, landing hard on cobblestones. He looked up to see Ishani next to him, brushing off her jeans. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around in confusion. "By Jove, this city feels strange!" Nikolai gasped, pulling out his encyclopedia and pointing to an image. "We must be in London, sometime in the 1970s! Back then, data encryption was just getting started to secure sensitive data!"

Page 4

A bespectacled man in a tweed suit hurried past, clutching a stack of papers. "Excuse me!" Nikolai called out. "Are you...
A bespectacled man in a tweed suit hurried past, clutching a stack of papers. "Excuse me!" Nikolai called out. "Are you... Whitfield Diffie?" The man stopped, surprised. "Why, yes, I am. How did you know?" Nikolai grinned. "My name is Nikolai, and this is Ishani. We're very interested in your work on cryptography!"

A bespectacled man in a tweed suit hurried past, clutching a stack of papers. "Excuse me!" Nikolai called out. "Are you... Whitfield Diffie?" The man stopped, surprised. "Why, yes, I am. How did you know?" Nikolai grinned. "My name is Nikolai, and this is Ishani. We're very interested in your work on cryptography!"

Page 5

Diffie raised an eyebrow. "Cryptography? It's just a theoretical pursuit, really. The process is more cumbersome than people realize, but it's important!"…
Diffie raised an eyebrow. "Cryptography? It's just a theoretical pursuit, really. The process is more cumbersome than people realize, but it's important!" Ishani stepped forward. "But isn't it about keeping information secret? Like... bank transactions?" Diffie chuckled. "Indeed! But the real problem is sharing the key securely!"

Diffie raised an eyebrow. "Cryptography? It's just a theoretical pursuit, really. The process is more cumbersome than people realize, but it's important!" Ishani stepped forward. "But isn't it about keeping information secret? Like... bank transactions?" Diffie chuckled. "Indeed! But the real problem is sharing the key securely!"

Page 6

Nikolai pointed to a passing messenger carrying a sealed letter. "So, you're saying it's like sending a locked box, but also needing to send the key separately?
Nikolai pointed to a passing messenger carrying a sealed letter. "So, you're saying it's like sending a locked box, but also needing to send the key separately? What if someone intercepts the key?" Diffie smiled. "Precisely! My colleague, Martin Hellman, and I have been working on a way to solve this problem—public-key cryptography, where everyone has a public key to encrypt messages, but only the recipient has the private key to decrypt them."

Nikolai pointed to a passing messenger carrying a sealed letter. "So, you're saying it's like sending a locked box, but also needing to send the key separately? What if someone intercepts the key?" Diffie smiled. "Precisely! My colleague, Martin Hellman, and I have been working on a way to solve this problem—public-key cryptography, where everyone has a public key to encrypt messages, but only the recipient has the private key to decrypt them."

Page 7

"That's brilliant!" Ishani exclaimed. "So, it's like having a public lock, but only you have the key to open it!" Diffie nodded.
"That's brilliant!" Ishani exclaimed. "So, it's like having a public lock, but only you have the key to open it!" Diffie nodded. "In 1976, we published our work. Now every time you shop online or send an email, public-key cryptography keeps your data safe! But it's based on an even older concept: In 1883, Auguste Kerckhoffs wrote that a cryptosystem should be secure even if everything about the system, except the key, is publicly known.

"That's brilliant!" Ishani exclaimed. "So, it's like having a public lock, but only you have the key to open it!" Diffie nodded. "In 1976, we published our work. Now every time you shop online or send an email, public-key cryptography keeps your data safe! But it's based on an even older concept: In 1883, Auguste Kerckhoffs wrote that a cryptosystem should be secure even if everything about the system, except the key, is publicly known. That is the foundation of modern encryption."

Page 8

Suddenly, the street began to blur. "Uh oh, looks like our time is up!" Nikolai yelled, grabbing Ishani's hand. "Thank you, Mr.
Suddenly, the street began to blur. "Uh oh, looks like our time is up!" Nikolai yelled, grabbing Ishani's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Diffie!" Back in his room, the 'Wonder Inventions Encyclopedia' lay open on his desk. He remembered something Diffie had mentioned: securely sending a key. He grabbed a thin sheet of paper and wrote in invisible ink.

Suddenly, the street began to blur. "Uh oh, looks like our time is up!" Nikolai yelled, grabbing Ishani's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Diffie!" Back in his room, the 'Wonder Inventions Encyclopedia' lay open on his desk. He remembered something Diffie had mentioned: securely sending a key. He grabbed a thin sheet of paper and wrote in invisible ink.

Page 9

Back in his room, Nikolai looked thoughtfully at the paper. "Sending a key separately... like Diffie said. He could encrypt it by turning the key into invisible…
Back in his room, Nikolai looked thoughtfully at the paper. "Sending a key separately... like Diffie said. He could encrypt it by turning the key into invisible ink! It wouldn't prevent someone from finding it, but it hides its meaning." He ran downstairs. "Mom, look! I have a secret message! It's encrypted!"

Back in his room, Nikolai looked thoughtfully at the paper. "Sending a key separately... like Diffie said. He could encrypt it by turning the key into invisible ink! It wouldn't prevent someone from finding it, but it hides its meaning." He ran downstairs. "Mom, look! I have a secret message! It's encrypted!"

Page 10

Ishani smiled. "Very clever!" she said, taking the paper. "As Albert Einstein said, 'The only source of knowledge is experience.' Today, thanks to people like…
Ishani smiled. "Very clever!" she said, taking the paper. "As Albert Einstein said, 'The only source of knowledge is experience.' Today, thanks to people like Diffie and Hellman, our online world is safer than ever! And, believe it or not, the encryption industry is worth about 10 billion dollars a year! Who knows what other inventions await us?"

Ishani smiled. "Very clever!" she said, taking the paper. "As Albert Einstein said, 'The only source of knowledge is experience.' Today, thanks to people like Diffie and Hellman, our online world is safer than ever! And, believe it or not, the encryption industry is worth about 10 billion dollars a year! Who knows what other inventions await us?"

About this story

  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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