Editing Lossless compression (section)

===Cryptography===
[[Cryptosystem]]s often compress data (the "plaintext") ''before'' encryption for added security. When properly implemented, compression greatly increases the [[unicity distance]] by removing patterns that might facilitate [[cryptanalysis]].<ref name="MenezesOV1996">{{cite book|author1=Alfred J. Menezes|author2=Paul C. van Oorschot|author3=Scott A. Vanstone|title=Handbook of Applied Cryptography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MhvcBQAAQBAJ&q=%22compression%22+%22unicity+distance%22|date=16 October 1996|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4398-2191-6}}</ref> However, many ordinary lossless compression algorithms produce headers, wrappers, tables, or other predictable output that might instead make cryptanalysis easier. Thus, cryptosystems must utilize compression algorithms whose output does not contain these predictable patterns.