Data Encryption
The process of converting information into a coded form so that only someone with the correct key can read it.
Data encryption↗ is the process of converting readable information into a scrambled, unreadable format using a mathematical algorithm and a secret key, so that only someone with the correct key can convert it back. It's one of the most fundamental tools for protecting data both while it's stored (at rest) and while it's being transmitted (in transit).
Encryption↗ is what makes online banking, messaging apps, and secure websites trustworthy: even if an attacker intercepts the data in transit, or steals a hard drive it was stored on, the scrambled contents are practically useless without the key. Because of how central it is to digital security, most modern devices and services now enable encryption by default rather than treating it as an optional add-on.