
What is Cipher?
Ciphers, often known as encryption algorithms, are data encryption and decryption methods. A cipher uses a key to determine how to turn the original communication, known as plaintext, into ciphertext.
Understanding Cipher
Ciphers are generally classified based on how they operate and how their key is utilized for encryption and decryption. Block ciphers amass symbols in a fixed-size message (the block), whereas stream ciphers operate on a continuous stream of symbols. A symmetric key algorithm or cipher is one that employs the same key for encryption and decryption. For encryption and decryption, asymmetric key algorithms or ciphers use a separate key.
Ciphers can be complex or simple algorithms. ROT13 (or ROT-13) is a basic letter substitution cipher that stands for “rotate by 13 places” in the alphabet. ROT13 substitutes each letter of the alphabet with the letter thirteen places ahead of it in a message.
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