Question

What is the difference between password protection and encryption?

Answer 1

Answer:

Password protection is where data is held secure by means that only those with the authorized password can gain access to it.  Encryption is the process by which information or data is converted into a special code, in order to prevent access by unauthorized persons.

Explanation:

In simple terms, protecting data with a password is like putting all your valuables in a safety deposit box and locking it using a key or a special code. The box is protected by the key and/or code and if you don't have the key or don't know what the code is, you cannot retrieve the valuables. However, if the lock used is weak and someone is able to break into the safety deposit box, they can easily retrieve the valuables inside.

On the other hand, when data is encrypted, it is a step further from password protection. This would happen if you were to break your valuables into small pieces before locking them safety into a safety deposit box. Even if the lock is weak and someone broke the box, they would still be unable to put back together all the pieces, hence the valuables will not be of use to them. You would have a pass code which would put all the pieces of valuable information back together and make sense of it, hence without this, even breaking the deposit box is of no use.

In a real scenario, a password protects unauthorized access to certain information. Encryption alters the information protected, by adding special characters and shuffling the letters. It is possible to be reversed only by someone with a special decryption pass code.