Encryption Explained: A Beginner's Guide
Understand how encryption keeps your data safe, from AES to end-to-end encryption, explained in plain English.
Encryption is the foundation of digital security. It's what keeps your banking information safe, your messages private, and your data secure. Let's demystify how it actually works.
What is Encryption?
Encryption transforms readable data (plaintext) into scrambled data (ciphertext) that can only be unscrambled with the correct key. Think of it like a lock - anyone can see the locked box, but only someone with the key can open it.
Types of Encryption
Symmetric Encryption
Uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. Fast and efficient, but both parties need to have the same secret key. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the most common symmetric algorithm.
Asymmetric Encryption
Uses a pair of keys: a public key (for encryption) and a private key (for decryption). You can share your public key freely - anyone can use it to encrypt messages that only you can decrypt with your private key.
AES: The Gold Standard
AES-256 is used by governments, banks, and security professionals worldwide. The "256" refers to the key length in bits. Breaking AES-256 by brute force would take longer than the age of the universe with current technology.
End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)
With E2EE, only the sender and recipient can read messages. The service provider (like Signal or WhatsApp) can't decrypt them even if they wanted to. Your messages are encrypted on your device and only decrypted on the recipient's device.
