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GCSE Computer Science · key term
A value used by an encryption or decryption algorithm to transform data.
Used by OCR
Paper 1, Paper 2
A digital value used by an encryption or decryption algorithm to control how data is transformed.
Revise: EncryptionAn encryption algorithm is a set of mathematical steps that transforms the plaintext. It uses a key, a digital value that controls the transformation. The resulting encrypted data is called ciphertext.
If asked why encryption is used, link your answer to the situation: intercepted customer bank details cannot be understood without the correct decryption key.
Encryption does not stop data being intercepted. It protects the contents by making them difficult to understand without the correct key.
Encryption does not prevent interception: it makes intercepted data unreadable without the correct key.
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An identifier used to access an associated value in a dictionary.