Data Encryption Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering encryption concepts, data states (at rest, in motion, in processing), and example technologies mentioned in the lesson.

Unencrypted data

Data that remains in an easily viewable or accessible format; clear text.

Plaintext

Unencrypted data that is readable without protection.

Encrypted data

Data that has been encoded and is unreadable without the proper key; requires decryption.

Ciphertext

The scrambled form of encrypted data.

Encryption

The process of encoding information so it can only be read with the correct key.

Decryption

The process of converting ciphertext back into plaintext using a key.

Encryption key

The secret value used to encrypt data and decrypt it; access is limited to authorized users.

Data at rest

Data stored on storage devices that is not actively moving.

Data in motion (data in transit)

Data that is actively moving across networks or within a system; protected by transport encryption.

Data in processing (data in use)

Data that has been loaded into memory or is being processed by the CPU.

Full disk encryption

Encryption of an entire storage device to protect data at rest.

File/folder encryption

Encryption applied to specific files or folders to protect contents.

TLS (Transport Layer Security)

Protocol used to secure communications over a network, protecting data in transit.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

Earlier protocol for securing the transport layer; largely replaced by TLS.

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)

A widely used symmetric encryption algorithm; an example of encryption in practice.

Confidentiality

The protection of data against unauthorized access; a primary goal of encryption.