Encryption

Not to be confused with Hashing.

Encryption is the process of encoding information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it. This is done using an encryption algorithm, which is a set of rules that specify how to encode and decode data.

Algorithsm

There are two main types of encryption algorithms:

• Symmetric encryption: Uses a single key to both encrypt and decrypt data. This key must be kept secret to maintain security. Examples include DES, AES, and Blowfish.
• Asymmetric encryption: Uses a pair of keys, a public key and a private key, to encrypt and decrypt data. The public key is shared with others, while the private key is kept secret. Examples include RSA, DSA, and ECC.
• Hybrid encryption: Combines symmetric and asymmetric encryption to take advantage of the strengths of both. For example, data can be encrypted with a symmetric key and then the symmetric key can be encrypted with an asymmetric key.