What Is End-to-End Encryption?

End-to-end encryption provides the gold-standard for protecting communication. In an end-to-end encrypted system, the only people who can access the data are the sender and the intended recipient(s) – and no one else. Neither hackers nor unwanted third parties can access the encrypted data on the server. In true end-to-end encryption, encryption occurs at the device level. That is, messages and files are encrypted before they leave the phone or computer and isn’t decrypted until it reaches its destination. As a result, hackers cannot access data on the server because they do not have the private keys to decrypt the data. Instead, secret keys are stored with the individual user on their device which makes it much harder to access an individual’s data. The security behind end-to-end encryption is enabled by the creation of a public-private key pair. This process, also known as asymmetric cryptography, employs separate cryptographic keys for securing and decrypting the message. Public keys are widely disseminated and are used to lock or encrypt a message. Private keys are only known by the owner and are used to unlock or decrypt the message. In end-to-end encryption, the system creates public and private cryptographic keys for each person who joins.