What is data encryption and why do we care?
• Online banking and many other forms of Internet traffic rely upon secure communications. Since the Internet is a public network, sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and banking information, must be protected from prying eyes. One way to protect data is to encrypt it. • Without data encryption, secure communication over the Internet is impossible. When information is sent over the Internet, it travels on public lines, potentially accessible to anyone. This means that private and sensitive information can be intercepted and used by any hacker who knows how to do so. • Data encryption “scrambles” the information sent over the Internet so that only the computer it is intended for can read it. The hacker can still intercept your data file, but, because of the encryption, the information it contains cannot be read or used by him/her. • 128-bit encryption provides a significantly greater amount of cryptographic protection than 40-bit encryption. Roughly speaking, 128-bit encr
