About Encryption & Decryption Programs

Encryption programs hide your personal information.

People exchange a lot of personal information over the Internet, but is it safe? Whether you are into social networking, online shopping, or sending email, encryption and decryption software likely play a role in keeping your information private.

Encryption Software

Encryption programs encode information so that only authorized users or computers can read it. Encryption software uses a cipher, or algorithm, to create the secret code. Without the correct key, the encrypted message is unreadable to prying eyes.

Warning

No security measure can make your information completely safe. Given enough time, the bad guys will find a way around your aging encryption software, which is why updates are released regularly to plug security holes. If you need to encrypt some information, always make sure your software is up to date.

Decryption Software

A decryption program's sole purpose is to decode encrypted messages. Naturally, decryption software has both ethical and unethical uses. Some people use it to decrypt personal files, but others use it to make illegal copies of movies and software.

References

• Catalog: Data Encryption Techniques
• Market Watch: Wave Executive Lark Allen to Speak on Hardware Encryption at the Air Force Information Technology Conference (AFITC).