Data encryption is the process of converting sensitive information into an unreadable format that can only be deciphered with a secret key. It's like putting your data in a locked safe and giving the key only to those who are supposed to see it, so even if someone breaks into the safe, they can't understand the contents without the key.

How to use it in a sentence

• When the new hire asked why all the customer data was gibberish, the senior engineer rolled her eyes and said "It's called data encryption, rookie. We don't just leave sensitive info lying around like Facebook."

• The CTO proudly announced that by implementing data encryption across all systems, the company had reduced the risk of a data breach, though the engineers grumbled about all the extra work it created.

If you actually want to learn more...

• Encrypted communication: This article explains the difference between encryption in transit and end-to-end encryption, and why end-to-end encryption makes surveillance by law enforcement more difficult.

• Encryption backdoors: This piece argues that deliberately weakening encryption with backdoors is a fundamentally bad idea that harms innocent people while criminals find workarounds.

• End-to-end encryption: This post discusses the challenges in building apps with end-to-end encryption and the goal of making it the default for better security in the future.

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.