Modern computers come with tools to encrypt data that makes it inaccessible to anyone who doesn’t visit site have the right key. What is encryption and how does it work? This article will explain the basics of encryption and how it can be used to secure sensitive information from hackers.

In simplest terms, data encryption converts textual information into ciphertext that can only be deciphered by authorized users who have the correct password. It is an important component of cyber-security that provides security of data and keeps sensitive information away from unauthorised users.

A common type employs mathematical models that are cryptographic to convert the original information into a jumbled collection of characters (also called ciphertext). Encryption algorithms “scrambles” individual bits in a random manner in order to require an enormous amount of computing power to determine the key and then convert it back to plaintext.

For instance, if you employ the most commonly used form of encryption referred to as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) on your digital files, each one of the ones and zeros that comprise it gets scrambled ten times in an uni-random pattern. Without the correct key to decipher it computers would have to run for a very long time to try and arrange them in the right order.

Encryption is also used to stop data leaks and ransomware. Hackers who take encrypted data are unable to read the data and aren’t able to blackmail the company or the individual involved, with the threat to release the stolen information to the dark web. Also, encryption protects backup systems against hackers, since they cannot access the data in its original format.