Encryption is the process of translating plain text data (plaintext) into something that appears to be random and meaningless (ciphertext). Decryption is the process of converting ciphertext back to plaintext. ... To decrypt a particular piece of ciphertext, the key that was used to encrypt the data must be used.

What is encryption and decryption and how does it work?

Decryption is a process that transforms encrypted information into its original format. The process of encryption transforms information from its original format — called plaintext — into an unreadable format — called ciphertext — while it is being shared or transmitted.

What is encryption and decryption called?

The science of encrypting and decrypting information is called cryptography. In computing, unencrypted data is also known as plaintext, and encrypted data is called ciphertext.