🔐 Encryption Process
What is Encryption?
Encryption is the process of transforming readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) to protect it from unauthorized access. Only those with the correct key can decrypt the data and recover the original plaintext.
🛠️ How Encryption Works
1. Plaintext Input
This is the original data you want to protect—e.g., a message, file, or password.
2. Encryption Algorithm
An algorithm (e.g., AES, RSA) processes the plaintext using an encryption key to convert it into ciphertext.
- Symmetric encryption: The same key is used for both encryption and decryption (e.g., AES).
- Asymmetric encryption: Uses a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption (e.g., RSA, ECC).
3. Ciphertext Output
The result is scrambled data that appears meaningless without the correct key.
4. Decryption
The reverse process. The encrypted data is turned back into plaintext using the appropriate decryption key.
🔑 Example: Symmetric Encryption (AES)
Plaintext: "Hello, World!"
Key: "secretkey123"
↓ Encryption (AES)
Ciphertext: "6a9f8f3e9a2f..."
↓ Decryption (AES with same key)
Plaintext: "Hello, World!"
🧱 Common Encryption Algorithms
| Type | Algorithm | Description | Common Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symmetric | AES | Fast, secure encryption standard | File encryption, databases, disk encryption |
| Symmetric | ChaCha20 | Stream cipher, faster on some hardware | VPNs, mobile encryption |
| Asymmetric | RSA | Public-private key encryption | Secure email, digital signatures, key exchange |
| Asymmetric | ECC | Efficient alternative to RSA with smaller keys | IoT devices, mobile apps, TLS |
| Hybrid | TLS | Combines symmetric & asymmetric encryption | HTTPS, secure web traffic |
| Hybrid | mTLS | TLS with mutual authentication using certificates | Secure service-to-service communication, APIs, microservices |