End-to-end encryption explained simple

What is end-to-end encryption

Nowadays you are constantly hearing the term End-to-end encryption. But what kind of a beast is that and how it differs from normal type of encryption? Today we’re going to answer that question and we are going to do it using very easy to understand analogies.

So, imagine you there is a very secure safe in a bank, it’s very safe and constructed from some alien metal that is impossible to cut, melt or explode. The safe also has a lock, which is again is impossible to break, melt, explode, etc, you need a key to open it.

Now you have stored your valuable things in the safe, what would you naturally do? You will take your key with you right? You will not leave it to the bank employee or some other person right? But this is what you are actually doing when using popular backup and sync services like Google Photos or Apple iCloud. Sure they keep your data encrypted on their servers, but they also hold the keys, that are needed to decrypt your data.

Anyway let’s get back to the end-to-end encryption. So you have locked your stuff in the safe and took a key with you. Nobody except you has the key to open the safe again, EVER! That’s the idea of end-to-end encryption, it’s that simple!

Continue reading “End-to-end encryption explained simple”