Encryption

Encryption protects confidentiality by converting plaintext into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and key. Correct key management and authenticated encryption modes are critical in practice.

The process of transforming plaintext into ciphertext.

Converting data into a form that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people.

Cryptographic transformation of data (called "plain text") into a different form (called "cipher text") that conceals the data's original meaning and prevents the original form from being used. The corresponding reverse process is "decryption", a transformation that restores encrypted data to its original form. (See: cryptography.)

"The cryptographic transformation of data to produce ciphertext." [I7498-2]

Usage: For this concept, IDOCs SHOULD use the verb "to encrypt" (and related variations: encryption, decrypt, and decryption). However, because of cultural biases involving human burial, some international documents (particularly ISO and CCITT standards) avoid "to encrypt" and instead use the verb "to encipher" (and related variations: encipherment, decipher, decipherment).

Tutorial: Usually, the plaintext input to an encryption operation is clear text. But in some cases, the plain text may be cipher text that was output from another encryption operation. (See: superencryption.)

Encryption and decryption involve a mathematical algorithm for transforming data. Besides the data to be transformed, the algorithm has one or more inputs that are control parameters: (a) a key that varies the transformation and, in some cases, (b) an IV that establishes the starting state of the algorithm.