Introduction To quote a Wikipedia article on encryption:
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information (referred to as plaintext) using an algorithm (called a cipher) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information (in cryptography, referred to as ciphertext). In many contexts, the word encryption also implicitly refers to the reverse process, decryption (e.g. encryption software can typically also perform decryption), to make the encrypted information readable again (i.e. to make it unencrypted).The images below shows diagrammatically the process of encryption and decryption.
Encryption is a huge part of the digital world. For instance, data that is sent between your web browser and your bank's online banking system is encrypted so that an eavesdropper can not obtain your login username and password and the details of your transactions and bank accounts. In fact, any transaction involving money or sensitive data that you do over a network (the Internet being one) is likely to be encrypted. On the Internet the HTTPS protocol is used for such communication. Below is a screenshot of the Internet banking login page for the ASB bank. Note the https in the url address bar. This signifies that communication of login details will be secured via encryption.
 To learn more about HTTPS visit this page: What is HTTPS?. To learn about the underlying technology, SSL, visit these pages:
Again, from the Wikipedia page on encryption: Encryption has long been used by militaries and governments to facilitate secret communication. Encryption is now commonly used in protecting information within many kinds of civilian systems. For example, the Computer Security Institute reported that in 2007, 71% of companies surveyed utilized encryption for some of their data in transit, and 53% utilized encryption for some of their data in storage. Encryption can be used to protect data "at rest", such as files on computers and storage devices (e.g. USB flash drives). In recent years there have been numerous reports of confidential data such as customers' personal records being exposed through loss or theft of laptops or backup drives. Encrypting such files at rest helps protect them should physical security measures fail. Digital rights management systems which prevent unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted material and protect software against reverse engineering (see also copy protection) are another somewhat different example of using encryption on data at rest.Encryption is also used to protect data in transit, for example data being transferred via networks (e.g. the Internet, e-commerce), mobile telephones, wireless microphones, wireless intercom systems, Bluetooth devices and bank automatic teller machines. There have been numerous reports of data in transit being intercepted in recent years.[2] Encrypting data in transit also helps to secure it as it is often difficult to physically secure all access to networks.There are many cryptographic systems, the details of which involve complex Mathematical methods. Some of these methods will be explored in this section of the website. Additional material
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