Encryption

Encryption makes information unreadable to anyone unauthorized: an algorithm uses a key to turn the data into ciphertext that is worthless without the matching key. It protects data both in transit (e.g., online banking over HTTPS ✕ HTTPS is the encrypted version of the web protocol HTTP. The "S" stands for "Secure" and means the connection to the website is protected with TLS. More in the glossary → ) and at rest ✕ A REST API is the most common style for building web APIs: it uses web addresses (URLs) and standard HTTP methods to request and send data, usually in JSON format. More in the glossary → (e.g., in the cloud ✕ "The cloud" refers to services and storage that run not on your device but on external servers on the internet. You can access them from anywhere. More in the glossary → or a password manager). Today's standard is AES-256 ✕ AES-256 is a globally recognized encryption standard considered practically unbreakable. VPNs, password managers, and cloud services use it to protect your data. More in the glossary → , considered practically unbreakable. There are two types: symmetric (one shared key) and asymmetric (a public and a private key). Encryption is the technical foundation of almost every security product.