The Basics Of Encryption

The internet is a vast space and there is a lot of personal and sensitive information out there. Having all this information readily at our fingertips is great, but this also means that it can get into the wrong hands. This is why it’s very important to do whatever it takes to keep your personal information protected and a lot of the work is being done for us already through the sites we already used on a regular basis.

what is encryption
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While the internet has some great benefits, there are also quite a few risks that you should know about. Information must be kept private and safe in order to allow you the experience you deserve. While there are things that you can do to keep your information from getting into the wrong hands, there are also ways websites keep you safe and one of them is through a little thing called encryption. Today we are going to talk to you a bit about it so you can understand just how the web works to protect you on a daily basis.

What is Encryption?

Before we can discuss encryption, it’s important that you know what it is. Encryption is a way of taking data and putting it into a unique code so only the proper individuals can read it and access it. If, for some reason, someone else is able to access this information, they will not know how to make sense of it; keeping the data safe and private between only authorized parties. Think of it this way; whenever you send information, instead of it being sent out into the internet the way you saw it, it is actually jumbled in a way that only the recipient is going to be able to see it.

While there are still ways for hackers to access this information and find a way to decode it, it is going to be much harder for them and the chances of your data being stolen are pretty slim. However, it is still a good idea to take precautions whenever placing personal information online. If you can avoid doing so, we advise you to because you can never be too safe when it comes to your identity. Although there are ways to fix identity theft, it can be a very long process and a hassle.

[Read also: A Guide to SSL Certificates]

Why Encryption is Important

Even if you think your information is secure, it’s always a good idea to take steps in order to protect it. Encryption is an important way for people and businesses to keep their information and make it only accessible to the people who they want to be able to view it, edit it and share it. Without encryption, it would be very simple for anyone to get your personal information and the last thing you want to deal with is someone having things such as your address, bank account number and so forth. You’d be surprised just how much damage can be done in a seemingly short period of time. Money could be stolen, your accounts could be closed; and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This is why so many websites are going that extra mile to make sure you are safe. They want to make sure that their customers have great experiences so they keep coming back time and time again. Plus, nothing is worse than having a negative BBB rating. That could make a great business tank.

Encryption You Probably Used as a Kid

passing notes
Make sure that’s encrypted okay? 🙂

When you think back to childhood, many of us actually were quite familiar with encryption and used it as a part of our everyday lives. Do you remember ever passing notes back and forth to your friends and making little symbols that meant certain words? If you didn’t do that then you probably made each letter of the alphabet mean a number or vice versa. You see, even when we were very young, we were finding ways to make our personal information private again. This way, if another kid came along and stole our note or a teacher tried to read it aloud, they wouldn’t be able to.

[Read also: How to Enable or Use End-to-End Encryption in Instagram Chats]

The Many Layers of Encryption

The neat thing about encryption is no two websites will do it alike and some sites will even have multiple layers of encryption, making it even harder for people to access your information. Sites such as PayPal or your personal online banking are probably the toughest to crack and they do this as a way to keep their customers around and maintaining a respected business. Keeping hackers out isn’t something that comes easy, either. There are always new ways for hackers to find their way in and because of this, coding has to constantly change and be updated to keep up with the times.

[Read also: Sites Where You Are Most Likely to Get Hacked]

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