How random numbers are generated

iT How random numbers are generated SWIPE iT You probably already know how to generate random numbers in programming, be it in Python, Java, C, etc. iT But have you ever wondered how a computer actually generates them? iT First, you should know that random numbers can be of 2 types... True random numbers True random numbers are mainly generated by considering some real world physical process, such as the mouse movement. That makes the numbers unpredictable, but they are also slower to generate. -------------------------------------------------- Pseudo-random numbers On the other hand, PRNs are generated only within the computer by using an initial value, called seed, and an algorithm. That means the numbers get generated quickly, but they are also deterministic. iT When using a function that generates random numbers, you are in fact generating PRNs. PRNGs produce a long sequence of numbers that eventually repeat. iT The only random part of PRNs is the starting point of the sequence. If you start with the same seed, you'll get the same sequence. Let's see an example... import random random.seed(3) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) # Setting the seed back to 3 random.seed(3) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) print(random.randint(1, 100)) Output: 31 76 70 31 76 70 After setting the seed value back to 3, the exact same numbers got generated again iT PRNs are fine to use when you don't really need numbers that are completely random, like in video games. iT But in some cases, it's crucial to use numbers an attacker can't guess, like in encryption. That's when true random numbers and specialized hardware generators come into play. iT Do you want a post about true random numbers?