Encryption

noun (uncountable)

/ɪnˈkrɪp.ʃən/

The process of encoding information using an algorithm and key so that only authorised parties with the corresponding decryption key can access the original plaintext. End-to-end encryption (E2EE), as used by WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage, has become a major flashpoint in Indian security policy: the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 require significant social media intermediaries to trace the 'first originator' of messages, a requirement technically incompatible with E2EE as designed. The debate involves a fundamental tension between individual privacy (Article 21) and national security imperatives.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The Supreme Court's recognition of privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 in Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) has complicated the government's demand that messaging platforms weaken encryption to enable lawful surveillance, creating a constitutional tension that Parliament has yet to resolve through a dedicated Data Protection law.

Synonyms

encodingcipheringcryptographic protectiondata obfuscationcryptographic encoding

Antonyms

decryptiondecodingplaintextunencrypted transmissionopen access

🌱 Word Family

encrypt (verb), decrypt (verb), decryption (noun), encrypted (adjective), encryptor (noun), cryptography (noun)

🔡 Root

Greek kryptos = hidden, secret (via Latin crypta) + en- = to put into; + -ion (action suffix)

📜 Etymology

Formed from the prefix en- (put into a state) combined with 'crypt' (from Greek kryptos = hidden, from kryptein = to hide), plus the action suffix -ion. The word 'crypt' originally meant a hidden underground vault; 'cryptography' (secret writing) preceded 'encryption' as the technical term. 'Encryption' as a specific computational term gained currency in the 1970s with the development of the Data Encryption Standard (DES) and public-key cryptography by Diffie and Hellman (1976).

🧠 Memory Hook

EN-CRYPT-ion: you put data INTO a CRYPT (kryptos = hidden). A crypt is a sealed underground vault — no unauthorised entry. Encryption seals your data in a mathematical crypt; only the key-holder can unseal it.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2015 — Information Technology

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Encryption” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🛡️ Internal Security 📖 Seen in: Internal Security — Threats, Cyber Sec...

Tip: press Alt+S to hear pronunciation