The etymology of encrypt refers us to the English expression to encrypt , in turn derived from the Greek word enkrýptein (which can be translated as “to hide” ). Specifically, we can establish that Greek term is the result of the sum of two very different components: the prefix “en-”, which can be translated as “inside”, and the verb “krypto”, which is synonymous with “ disguise".
The action of encrypting consists of copying a message using a key .
It should be remembered that a code is a code of signs that are interpreted according to certain correspondences and rules. When encrypting a text, a code is used so that its content is only accessible to those who know the rules that regulate the key in question.
Encryption, in short, consists of encrypting: that is, transcribing a text into signs (letters, numbers, etc.) according to a certain key. In this way it is possible to protect its content.
Cryptography is the technique and specialty of encrypting. Thanks to cryptography, a text can be transformed with an encryption key, making it incomprehensible to those who do not have the decryption key.
One of the simplest methods to encrypt text is through character substitution . Suppose we want to encrypt the following expression: “We will meet in the park at midnight tonight.” Using a substitution cipher, we could transcribe the message by replacing each letter with the one that follows it in alphabetical order. The result would be the following: “Opt fodpousbsfnpt fo fm qbsrvf b mb nfejbopdif ef ipz” . As you can see, the resulting message cannot be understood unless you have the decryption key, which involves replacing each letter with the preceding one in the alphabet.
Today, for example, we can resort to encrypting the different technological devices that are part of our lives. So, for example, there are those who choose to do this with their mobile phone as a way to ensure that no third parties can access their data (bank details, contact phone numbers, email addresses, conversations, images and videos…). That is, it protects them from any spy system and is also useful so that if someone steals the smartphone they cannot have free access to that information.
The way to encrypt a smartphone is not only to establish a pattern or a PIN on the lock screen but also to use a password or to start the encryption process from the “Security” option in the “Settings” section.
The only negative aspects of making the decision to encrypt your mobile phone is that its performance will be slower if it is a lower-mid-range model and that it is a process that takes a long time. What's more, it is also considered a disadvantage that if you wanted to restore the encryption, what you would have to do is restore the factory settings again.