What is the Meaning of Encrypted? Types and Benefits

Last Updated on 2 months by Touhid

What is the meaning of encrypted data in computer systems? Encryption is the process of encoding a message using an algorithm to transform it so that only authorized users can access the encrypted data. The encrypted message or data is unreadable to unauthorized users. 

To safeguard data from unwanted access or surveillance, encryption transforms this information into ciphertext, a safe and unintelligible format. In short, it is a method to turn texts into such a format which makes it unreadable by hackers or anyone.

There are a few different types of encryptions so to know more about them, keep reading!

What is the Meaning of Encrypted?

If you have ever opened any social media account, you must have seen the notification “The password is encrypted”. Or you may have noticed that “end-to-end conversations are encrypted” during private calls. Encryption is a very common term in the cyber world so what exactly is this?

In general terms, encryption is a security method used to code sensitive data in such a way that only authorized persons can access it. In technical terms, it’s an essential security method that uses encryption keys and algorithms to convert data into an unintelligible format called ciphertext.

Regardless of how your company generates, collects, or uses data, encryption is a crucial data privacy security tactic that keeps confidential data out of the grasp of unauthorized individuals.

By encrypting data, encryption ensures that only people with only the proper authorization can decode it which adds an extra layer of security.

An authorized user can use the relevant binary key or password to decode the data when they need to access the encrypted data. This is an essential part of information security since it guarantees the privacy and security of data.

What is the meaning of encrypted? Encrypted means plain text data has been converted into a form that is unreadable for unauthorized users and only authorized users can access the encrypted data. It protects sensitive data such as financial information by encoding and transforming the information into unreadable cipher text (The encrypted data is called ciphertext).

As a sender, if you want to transmit the credit card and bank account numbers to the recipient through a network then the data will be converted into cipher text.

For example, of encrypted data:

Plain text: Credit card number: 37828224631

Cipher text:  eCPkUvjGu16ufOhMPTNhV0c07oEOjV+wHR2VIzfqosI=

What is the Meaning of End-To-End Encrypted?

What is the Meaning of End-To-End Encrypted? The meaning of end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) is a secure data communication technique where only the sender and receiver can communicate. Here, third-party service providers or hackers are prevented from accessing the data while transferring over the network.

In this encrypted process, the data is encrypted on the sender device using an algorithm and only the receiver can decrypt the data.

The end-to-end encrypted method protects the data because only the sender and receiver can access the encrypted data. And no one (such as hackers, third parties, or governments) can access the encrypted data on the server.

End-to-end encrypted is a method used by most popular messaging service providers such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Zoom. The messages are encrypted before sending and the messages aren’t decrypted until it reaches the receiver.

Simply put, end-to-end encrypted methods ensure that no one can access or read your data while talking or messaging on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Zoom.

Types of Encrypted Technique

Previously encryption followed a few different methods, but these methods had some loopholes that made them easily accessible to hackers. But, luckily newer encrypted methods are much more efficient which we will discuss below.

Symmetric Encryption

A single key is used by symmetric ciphers, also known as secret key encryption, for both encryption and decryption. In order to use banking-grade encryption, a random number generator (RNG) usually generates a random string of letters or numbers that can be used as the key.

Encrypting vast amounts of data is a good use for symmetric key ciphers since they are comparatively less expensive to generate and need less processing power to decipher. For encryption, the AES and DES algorithms are most frequently used.

The encryption normally follows two methods: in one method multiple plain text symbols are encrypted into a single block and in another method, it streams one character of unencrypted text straight into encrypted text.

The safe sharing of the shared secret key is the main symmetric encryption problem. So, the security of the encrypted data is at risk if this key is compromised during delivery.

Asymmetric Encryption

Another commonly used encryption method is asymmetric encryption. In this method instead of one key, two keys are used for encryption; one is the private key and the other is the public key and is known as public key cryptography.

Because it is computationally challenging to factor in huge prime numbers and decipher the encryption, this kind of cryptography frequently employs prime numbers to generate keys.

Data is encrypted using the public key to make sure that only the owner of the matching private key can decode and view the original data. A far better alternative than symmetric encryption for guaranteeing the security of data transferred over the internet is asymmetric encryption. The Elliptic curve and RSA algorithms are most frequently used for this.

However, because it requires two separate keys, it operates far more slowly and inefficiently than symmetric cryptography. It can even cause problems with memory capacity, battery life, and network performance.

How Does Encryption Work?

So, by now you already know What is the meaning of encryption, but how does it exactly work? It is more like a mathematical process that uses a combination of keys and algorithms to change data into an unreadable format.

Through the use of cryptographic methods, “plaintext” data is converted into “ciphertext” during the encryption process. A decryption key—typically produced by related algorithms—is necessary to restore the data to its original plaintext format.

Data security and privacy are guaranteed by this method since the original data can only be accessed by those who possess the right key. An example will help you understand this concept more easily.

Example of how encryption works

Let us imagine that John wants to send his buddy Sarah a private message. He chooses to employ a simple encryption technique to safeguard the communication.

So, for instance, he wants to write TREASURE but using letter shifting cipher he shifted it to 3 which makes the word “Treasure” into “WOXBPRB”.

Afterward, Sarah wants to see the entry, so she reverses the procedure and reveals the original message as “TREASURE” using her knowledge of the replacement key.

This same concept is applied in encryption but the algorithms used are much more complex and beyond the knowledge of a hacker looking to decode the message.

So, similar to physical keys, encryption keys are only usable by those who possess them, allowing them to “unlock” or decode encrypted data.

What are the Encryption Algorithms?

There are many types of encryption algorithms used but we will discuss the most commonly used algorithms. As there are two main types of encryption, both of them use different algorithms.

Symmetric Algorithm

The symmetric algorithm uses four main types of algorithms; AES, 3-DES, SNOW, and Twofish

AES Encryption Method

It is among the most popular and safest symmetric encryption algorithms available. It was created using a concept known as a “substitution–permutation system,” which is a 128-bit block cipher with keys that can be 128, 192, or 256 bits long—AES-256 being the most secure variation.

You can already see how strong this encryption method is since the U.S. government selected this Advanced Encryption Standard cipher to safeguard sensitive data. 

3-DES Encryption Method

The DES algorithm is an old encryption method and has some security concerns but the 3-DES is the upgraded version of regular DES and is quite strong. By executing the DES algorithm three times for every data block, it improves the reliability of the original Data Encryption Standard (DES).

It makes use of three distinct encryption keys, each measuring 56 bits. This indicates that it offers 112 bits of effective security, a much higher level of protection than the 56-bit key used in the original DES.

Twofish Encryption Method

One of the newest encryption technologies is called Twofish, and it is a symmetric key block cipher with block sizes of 128 bits and key sizes up to 256 bits. This method is among the fastest encryption methods and works well in software and hardware settings.

This technique uses a key extension procedure to take the encryption key that the user provides and turn it into a series of subkeys. It is no longer theoretically possible to determine the original key from the subkeys due to this enlargement.

SNOW Encryption Method

The last method used by symmetric encryption is SNOW which is a 32-bit word-sized stream cipher that is word-oriented. There are two possible key sizes for the cipher: 128 and 256 bits. Because of its simplicity and speed, SNOW is well-suited for software implementation in situations with limited resources, such as embedded systems and low-power electronics.

Asymmetric Encryption

Regarding asymmetric encryption, two methods are typically employed; RSA and Elliptic curve cryptography.

RSA Encryption Method

Users of this asymmetric system can choose to encrypt using a private key or a public key. Two prime numbers plus an additional value are factored to generate the public key in RSA. While the private key is kept confidential, the public key is shared publicly.

Data can be encrypted by anybody using the RSA public key, but it can only be decrypted by someone who is aware of the prime numbers.  Digital signatures, which confirm the integrity and validity of communications and documents, are frequently created using it.  The size of the key determines the basic strength of RSA encryption.

The security of the private key is jeopardized if the big number behind the key is factorized. As a result, the endurance of the encryption is directly related to the size of the key, and increasing or decreasing the key size leads to a significant exponential rise in the encryption strength. RSA keys usually are 1024 or 2048 bits long and are nearly impenetrable at the moment.

Elliptic Curve Cryptography

This is a very advanced encryption method that is based on elliptic curves over infinite fields. Since the technique is based on a mathematical problem for which there is no documented solution, this method is nearly complicated to get past. In addition, this is far more effective than other asymmetric encryption techniques, such as RSA.

Because it requires shorter key lengths to offer the same level of security, it is perfect for settings with constrained computing and bandwidth capabilities.

Why Is Encryption Important?

Already you know the meaning of encryption in computer and how does it works. After reading this guide so far, you may wonder if it is really necessary to do encryption. To answer that yes, it is important to do encryption and there are many reasons.

Ensures Reliability: Encryption ensures that information sent over the Internet hasn’t been read or altered route to the destination. Thus, it confirms that the message’s or the data’s content hasn’t changed since it was transmitted.

Additionally, when data is encrypted, any interference or change of the data becomes obvious since decryption will fail, making it simple to determine if the data has been altered.

Maintain Security Regulations: Organizations must use encryption to protect data and respect privacy to comply with legal requirements and industry standards. There are strict regulations governing data privacy in several industries, most notably the financial services and healthcare sectors.

Maintain Data Privacy: One of the main benefits of encryption is it protects your data from hackers or other trespassers. It makes sure that only you and the recipient for whom the text is meant can read the contents of the message.

So, when a device is encrypted, it becomes secure and makes any attempts by a threat to access the data pointless.

Ensures safe internet browsing: The Internet is the easiest way for hackers to hack into your social accounts and personal devices. Thus, encryption plays a key role in ensuring that your online communications are safe.

It is utilized in systems such as virtual private networks (VPNs) for encrypted remote access, secure email communication, and HTTPS for protecting online traffic.

Benefits of Encrypted Technique

The overall key benefit of the encrypted technique is ensuring information or database security. Typically, there are many benefits of using an encrypted technique. If you’re considering encrypted technique for your personal or business purposes, then you will get the following advantages:

• Encrypted process is used to protect sensitive data, including personal information.
• It can help protect data across all devices, even during transfer.
• It ensures the Integrity of Encrypted Data.
• Data is protected while a computer is turned off or in sleep mode.
• It ensures the confidentiality of information from unauthorized revelation and access.
• It protects information against spoofing and forgeries.

FAQs

Encryption is one of the most important components to secure safe communication and online security. So, if you are still having some questions, keep on reading our FAQs below.

Is encryption and decryption the same?

No, encryption and decryption are completely different from each other. Encryption allows you to convert texts and calls in such a format that makes it unreadable by anyone whereas decryption is the method that tries to convert back these encrypted texts into a readable format.

Is encryption necessary?

In the digital era, encryption is essential. It is a crucial instrument for protecting private information, guaranteeing cybersecurity, and upholding privacy in our ever-connected global community. Our digital lives could become far more open to privacy abuses and cyber threats without encryption.

Can hackers decrypt encrypted data?

The strength of the encryption technique and the security of the encryption keys are balanced to provide encrypted data security. Although decrypting encrypted data is theoretically possible given sufficient time and resources, current encryption techniques are extremely resistant to such attacks.

Conclusion

Encryption protects your texts, calls, and even confidential information from getting accessed by hackers or even government officials in some cases. Encryption plays a crucial role in our online lives, whether it’s preventing illegal access to our passwords or facilitating safe, private chats.

So, knowing about proper encryption methods can help you safeguard both your private data and organizational data more securely.

Finally, the main aim of encrypted data is to keep privacy which can help you to protect your data. The encrypted technique plays an important role in information security in the cyber world. In this post, we’ve defined What is the meaning of encrypted data and the types of encrypted techniques.