Plain text (cryptography)

In cryptography , the term plain text refers to the open wording of a text , i.e. an unencrypted message or a block of data.

By encryption by means of an encryption process and a key of plain text into a is ciphertext (also ciphertext ) converted. Conversely, the plain text is recovered from a ciphertext by decryption , after which it is also called a decipher .

The encryption is carried out with a symmetrical encryption process with the same key with which the ciphertext can also be decrypted back to the original plain text. With an asymmetric encryption method , the plain text is encrypted with the public key and can only be decrypted again using the private key .

Encryption is used to generate a ciphertext from plain text using a secret or public key

Individual evidence

1. ↑ An introduction to the use of encryption. Retrieved July 9, 2017 .