How Encryption Protects Your Data
When you send a message, access an account online, or provide payment information online, you are relying on your data being kept private. However, most people are not concerned with what actually goes into protecting this data. One of the most important things that goes into protecting your data is encryption.
Encryption is one of the most important technologies that we use in our daily digital lives. However, we normally do not see it in action. In its absence, online banking would be more dangerous, private messages would be more easily intercepted, and data would be more easily compromised.
What encryption actually is
Encryption can be defined as the process by which readable data is converted into unreadable data. The readable data is called plaintext. Once encryption occurs, this data changes to ciphertext. Ciphertext is data that cannot be read.
The idea behind encryption is very simple. In theory, if data is sent to an individual who then tries to read it, they should not be able to read it unless they are provided with the correct key to access it.
In essence, encryption does not prevent data from moving. It merely provides security to data in transit or at rest.
How encryption works
The basic idea behind encryption is not too difficult to understand. For example, if you were to write a message and scramble it in some fashion that only someone with the right method would know how to decipher it, that would be similar to how encryption works. Of course, a real-world encryption method is much more complex than something simple like a code, but the idea is similar.
The idea behind encryption is that a message is simply a piece of information that is being transmitted. The encryption algorithm uses a key to scramble that information into something unreadable. Then, if that key is applied again to the unreadable information, it will be converted back into the original message. Of course, if the wrong key is applied to the unreadable information, it will still be unreadable.
The problem is that information is being transmitted at all times. For example, every time you bring up a website, every text message you send, and every file that is uploaded to the internet is being transmitted through many different channels before it gets to the other side. Encryption is important to make sure that even if your information is being transmitted through many channels, it will still not be readable.
The Two Types of Encryption
There are two main types of encryption that are most important to know about in relation to most technology that is being used today: symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption.
Symmetric encryption uses one key to encrypt and decrypt data.
Unlike symmetric encryption, which uses one key, asymmetric encryption uses two keys. The keys are a public key, which can be shared with anyone, and a private key, which must not be shared with anyone. The data that has been encrypted with the public key must be decrypted with the private key. This is a powerful tool for safe communication over the internet, as it allows systems to share information without first sharing a key in an insecure manner.
In reality, modern systems often use both. Asymmetric encryption is often used to initially establish a secure connection, and then symmetric encryption is used to efficiently handle the data.
Where encryption is used every day
Encryption is not only used by governments or people who work with computers. It is part of our everyday life.
For example, when you visit a secure website, encryption is used to protect the connection between your device and that website. When you use a messaging application that has end-to-end encryption, that application is using encryption to protect that communication. When you go to your bank’s website or you have to put your credit card number into a website, that’s using encryption. Your phone, your laptop, your cloud storage, and your password managers are all using encryption to protect your information.
A lot of people are using encryption every day without even realizing they’re using it. And that’s part of why encryption is so important. It’s not some fancy thing that only a few people know how to use. It’s part of what makes up the internet.
Why encryption matters so much
Encryption is important because without it, your privacy and security on the internet would be at risk. Your messages would be at risk of being stolen, read, or altered. Your accounts would be at risk. And trust would be lost very quickly on the internet.
Another reason encryption is important is that the internet is not a private space. Your data goes across networks that you have no control over. And encryption is a way to protect that data so that you’re not relying on the security of every network that your data goes across.
This is what makes encryption so valuable. It’s what allows an open and interconnected digital world to become one in which private communication and secure transactions are still possible.
Where Encryption is Not Enough on Its Own
As powerful as encryption is, it is not enough on its own. This is to say that a system can have all the benefits of encryption and still be insecure.
For instance, poor passwords can make it easier to get into an encrypted system. Phishing attacks can fool users into giving away sensitive information. Malware can steal information directly from a device. Finally, human error can cause security problems that cannot be fixed by encryption.
This is an important point because it grounds the conversation in reality. Encryption is one of the most important elements in digital security. However, it is best when considered in terms of a larger system in which design, intelligence, and security best practices all come together.
The Takeaway
Encryption is one of the best ways to protect data. This is because it converts readable data into unreadable data. This unreadable data can only be unlocked by someone who has the correct key. This simple concept is the foundation on which much of the security that people rely on every day is based.
Most people do not ever get to see this in action. This is precisely the point. This is because it is working in the background to help make modern life possible. Without it, online privacy would be much weaker than it is.
While encryption itself may be invisible, its role is huge. It’s one of the main reasons why your data has a chance to remain private in a world that’s all about constant connection.
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Sources
Cloudflare. What is encryption? https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ssl/what-is-encryption/
IBM. What is encryption? https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/encryption
NIST. Guideline for Using Cryptographic Standards in the Federal Government. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/specialpublications/nist.sp.800-175b.pdf
EFF. Encrypting the Web. https://www.eff.org/encrypt-the-web