Data encryption is what happens when you take the text or data you use and convert it to a code (also called “ciphertext”) that can’t be understood by those who do not have the correct key. For the data to be useable, it must be changed back or decrypted.

Encryption is necessary because it allows us to send relevant and often-sensitive information over the internet and through electronic means without unauthorized people seeing it. For the data to be decrypted, it needs a key, which authorized users will have. However, keep in mind that even encrypted data can sometimes be decrypted by those with enough skills or resources, some of whom may have malicious intent.

Encryption generally prevents the theft or sharing of important data, whether it’s the movies we watch, which use digital rights management (DRM) to prevent illegal copying, or the banking login passwords we type into the bank’s website.