data encryption

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How does a quantum computer work?

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A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England

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Watergate scandal. Richard M. Nixon. President Nixon gives a press conference and talks to the press, March 12, 1971.

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Vietnam War. Operation Georgia. U.S. Marines bombing bunkers and tunnels used by the Viet Cong. May 6, 1966

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data encryption: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

'Prime numbers' discovery upends thousands of years of accepted beliefs and could disrupt encryption methods • Apr. 28, 2025, 7:27 AM ET (Earth.com)

Facts

Also Known As	encryption • encipherment

Videos

How does a quantum computer work?

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Topics

cipher decryption code cryptographic key Data Encryption Standard public-key cryptography transposition cipher Morse Code substitution cipher block cipher data mining data compression data processing misinformation and disinformation database metadata big data byte data structure information retrieval

Key People

Ronald L. Rivest

American computer scientist

Michael Oser Rabin

Israeli American mathematician

Adleman, Leonard M.

Leonard M. Adleman

American computer scientist

Adi Shamir

Israeli cryptographer

Quiz

A botanical illustration from the Voynich manuscript, a codex, scientific or magical text in an unidentified language, in cipher; end of the 15th or during the 16th century (?).

Codes, Secrets, and Ciphers Quiz