How can I use a cryptography library in my project?

How can I use a cryptography library in my project?

You can start by choosing a cryptography library suitable for your programming language. For example, if you're using Python, you might consider libraries like PyCryptodome or cryptography.

What are the basic functions I should know about?

Key functions typically include encryption, decryption, key generation, and hashing. Would you like examples of how to implement these?

Yes, please provide an example of encryption and decryption.

Sure! Here's a simple example using PyCryptodome:

from Crypto.Cipher import AES
from Crypto.Util.Padding import pad, unpad

key = b'Sixteen byte key'
cipher = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_CBC)

# Encrypting
plaintext = b'This is a secret.'
ct_bytes = cipher.encrypt(pad(plaintext, AES.block_size))

# Decrypting
cipher = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_CBC, iv)
pt = unpad(cipher.decrypt(ct_bytes), AES.block_size)

What about security best practices when using cryptography?

Always use strong, random keys, avoid hardcoding them, and keep your libraries up to date to protect against vulnerabilities.