Glossary
Encryption
Making information unreadable without the right key, to protect its secrecy.
To encrypt is to transform readable data into a scrambled form that only the right key can restore. It protects your information both when it is stored and when it travels over the Internet. All the security then rests on the strength of the method and, above all, on the protection of the key.
See also
Hashing (hash)Turning a piece of data into a unique, non-reversible "fingerprint", useful for checking a file or protecting a password.Trojan horse (trojan)A booby-trapped program that hides inside normal-looking software and activates once you install it.Computer worm (worm)Malicious software that spreads on its own from one machine to another, without anyone having to click.SpywareSoftware that quietly watches your device to collect information without your knowledge.