Security Keywords Summary

• encode: Convert data into another format for compatibility or transmission (for example, Base64). Encoding is not a security control by itself.
• decode: Reverse an encoding process to recover the original representation from an encoded format.
• compress: Reduce data size to save storage or bandwidth by removing redundancy (for example, ZIP, gzip).
• decompress: Restore compressed data back to its original form.
• encrypto: Common informal term for encrypt; transform plaintext into ciphertext using a key to protect confidentiality.
• decrypto: Common informal term for decrypt; transform ciphertext back into plaintext using the correct key.
• cryptography: The science of securing information using mathematical techniques, including encryption, hashing, signatures, and key exchange.
• hash: Produce a fixed-length digest from input data using a one-way function. Common examples include MD (for example, MD5; legacy), SHA (for example, SHA-256), MAC constructions (for example, HMAC), and SM3. Used for integrity checks, password storage (with salt), and indexing.
• confidentiality: Ensure information is only accessible to authorized entities (typically enforced with encryption and access control).
• integrity: Ensure data is accurate and unmodified except by authorized actions (typically enforced with hashes, MACs, and signatures).
• signature: A digital mechanism proving origin and integrity of data, created with a private key and verified with a public key.