Encryption is the process of encoding the data in such a way that it can be read only by the authorized users. The purpose of encryption is to prevent third parties from recovering the original data.
In an encryption process, the data (referred to as plaintext) is encrypted using an encryption algorithm, turning it into an unreadable ciphertext. This is usually done with the use of an encryption key, which specifies how the data is to be encoded. An authorized party, however, is able to decode the ciphertext using a decryption algorithm which usually requires a secret decryption key.
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