Understanding Encryption on the Internet

A.

The correct answer is A. Encryption encodes information using specific algorithms with a string of numbers known as a key.

Encryption is the process of converting plain text into an unreadable form, known as ciphertext, using a mathematical algorithm and a key. The key is a random string of numbers and letters that is used to encrypt and decrypt the information. Encryption is an essential technique used to protect sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal data during transmission over the Internet.

When data is transmitted over the Internet, it travels in the form of packets that can be intercepted and read by anyone who has access to them. Encryption protects the data by making it unreadable to anyone except the intended recipient. The encryption process scrambles the data so that it is unintelligible, and the only way to decode it is by using the correct key.

There are two types of encryption: symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption. In symmetric encryption, the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt the data. In asymmetric encryption, two keys are used: a public key and a private key. The public key is used to encrypt the data, and the private key is used to decrypt it.

Many protocols and technologies use encryption to provide security over the Internet, such as SSL/TLS, PGP, and SSH. These technologies use a combination of encryption and digital certificates to ensure that the data is transmitted securely between two parties.

In conclusion, encryption is a technique used to protect sensitive information during transmission over the Internet. It uses specific algorithms and keys to encode information into an unreadable form that can only be decoded by someone with the correct key.