Definition
Encryption
Encryption is the process of transforming plaintext into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and a key, rendering the information unintelligible to unauthorised parties. Decryption reverses this process to recover the original plaintext.
Confidentiality
Encryption enforces confidentiality by ensuring that intercepted ciphertext cannot be understood without the corresponding decryption key. Even if an attacker gains access to the encrypted data, they cannot derive the plaintext without solving a computationally hard problem.