Encryption: history, types, uses, and limits

Plaintext to ciphertext and confidentiality goal

Encryption is the process of transforming plaintext (readable information) into ciphertext (an encoded form) so that, ideally, only authorized parties can decode it. While encryption does not stop interference by an attacker, it denies the attacker intelligible content, making decryption infeasible without the proper key and sufficient computational resources. In cryptography, confidentiality is achieved through the use of encryption keys and well-designed encryption schemes. Keys are typically either symmetric (the same key is used for encryption and decryption) or public-key (the encryption key can be public, while only the recipient has the matching decryption key). Encryption is widely used to protect data both in transit (e.g., over networks like the Internet) and at rest (e.g., stored on devices such as laptops or USB drives), supporting confidentiality against eavesdropping and unauthorized access.

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Encryption keys and decryption process

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