Cyber With Debra!

We all use encryption every day, often without realizing it. It is at work when you tap to pay for groceries, when you check your bank account online, and when you send a message through a secure app. It is one of those invisible protections that keeps modern life moving.

In our latest comic, Brittany asks Debra what encryption really means. Debra explains it as scrambling information so only the intended recipient can unlock it. Brittany makes the connection: when she taps to pay, her account number is not exposed along the way. Debra confirms that encryption shields the details in transit and only the bank can read them. The reassurance is clear: encryption keeps sensitive data protected, coded, and usable only by the right system.

What encryption means for network security

Encryption is a foundational layer of network security. It protects information in three critical states:

• In transit: while your data is moving across networks, like payments or messages.

• At rest: when information is stored on devices or servers, like medical records or saved files.

• In use: while data is being actively processed by applications.

Even if attackers find a way to access the traffic, the storage, or the system while it is running, encryption keeps the contents locked and unreadable.

Without encryption, these moments become open doors for attackers. A payment could be intercepted, a stolen laptop could reveal its files, or even live processing could be exploited. With encryption in place, the data is useless to anyone without the right key.

A healthcare lens

Think about a hospital. Patient records move constantly: from bedside monitors to nursing stations, from labs to doctors’ devices, from storage systems to billing. Encryption ensures that if those records are intercepted in transit, they cannot be read without the right access. That same protection extends to storing medical histories, processing lab results, or accessing imaging scans. Without encryption, sensitive data would be far too easy to exploit.

Everyday takeaway

Encryption is not just for banks or big organizations. It is built into the services we rely on, from shopping to messaging to healthcare. It means that your data is not simply sitting exposed, even if someone tries to grab it midstream.

Encryption gives everyday transactions the shield they need. The stronger and more consistent the shield, the safer our information stays across networks and systems.

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