Learn / Encryption
Encryption · 2 min read
What encryption is, in plain English
Locking information so only the right people can open it, and why it matters more than passwords alone.
Encryption turns readable information into scrambled information using a secret called a key. Without the key, the scrambled version is useless. With it, the information turns back into something readable.
Lock and key
Picture a lockbox. Anyone can carry it, mail it or even steal it. Only someone with the key can open it. A secure house with an alarm is nice, but lockboxes mean that even if someone gets inside, they still cannot read what you stored.
Secure is not the same as encrypted
- Secure means defenses around the data: passwords, firewalls, guards.
- Encrypted means the data itself is scrambled, so it stays protected even if the defenses fail.
- The best systems do both.
Three places data needs protection
- In transit: moving between your device and a server.
- At rest: stored on a disk or backup.
- End to end: locked on the sender's device and opened only on the recipient's.
Most apps do the first two. Only end-to-end encryption means the company in the middle cannot read your content. Try the interactive version in who can read your messages.