encryption

American  

[en-krip-shuhn] / ɛnˈkrɪp ʃən /

noun

1. the act or practice of converting messages into cipher or code.

   During World War II, the encryption process involved code tables and a machine.

2. Computers. the act or practice of changing digital data into a form that cannot be read without converting it back using a unique key.

   Though its data encryption is strong, the app has other security flaws exploited by hackers.

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encryption Cultural  

1. The process of encoding a message so that it can be read only by the sender and the intended recipient. Encryption systems often use two keys, a public key, available to anyone, and a private key that allows only the recipient to decode the message. (See also cryptography.)

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Etymology

Origin of encryption

First recorded in 1940–45; 1960–65 encryption for def. 2; encrypt ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

It is useful for certain difficult mathematical problems and encryption.

From Barron's

It wins the ability to break every encryption system.

From MarketWatch

End-to-end encryption essentially means that no one except the users who send or receive a given communication are privy to the contents of that communication, including the government and the platform.

From Salon

That raised some big risks: The ability to execute the algorithm underpins the fears that quantum computers will be able to crack the encryption that has protected much of the world’s data for decades.

From Barron's

He added: “As far as we can determine, quantum computing will have limited uses — code and encryption.”

From MarketWatch