Custom Cryptography vs OpenSSL

Developers should only consider custom cryptography in rare, highly specialized cases where no existing standard meets unique constraints, such as extreme performance needs in embedded systems or proprietary hardware with unusual architectures meets developers should learn and use openssl when building or maintaining systems that require secure data transmission, such as https web servers, vpns, or encrypted messaging applications. Here's our take.

Custom Cryptography

Nice Pick

Developers should only consider custom cryptography in rare, highly specialized cases where no existing standard meets unique constraints, such as extreme performance needs in embedded systems or proprietary hardware with unusual architectures

Pros

• It is primarily used in academic research, cryptographic competitions, or when developing novel cryptographic primitives for future standardization
• Related to: cryptography, security-engineering

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

OpenSSL

Developers should learn and use OpenSSL when building or maintaining systems that require secure data transmission, such as HTTPS web servers, VPNs, or encrypted messaging applications

Pros

• It is essential for implementing SSL/TLS certificates, generating cryptographic keys, and performing security audits in environments like Linux servers, where it is often the default tool for handling cryptographic operations
• Related to: tls-ssl, cryptography

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Custom Cryptography is a concept while OpenSSL is a tool. We picked Custom Cryptography based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Custom Cryptography wins

Based on overall popularity. Custom Cryptography is more widely used, but OpenSSL excels in its own space.