What is encryption and why it matters for your data?

Encryption scrambles your data into a format that only someone with a key can read. HTTPS (the padlock in your browser) encrypts data between you and websites. Device encryption protects files on your phone or computer.

Encryption is the process of converting readable information into a scrambled format that's unreadable without a secret key. Modern encryption is so strong that it's mathematically impossible to read without the key. This explains how encryption works, where you see it, why it matters, and how to check that it's active.