Extending
Encryption

Encryption empowers people and keeps them safe. We need encryption for everyone, everywhere.

Encryption is a vital tool for protecting ourselves in a digital society. Yet governments are increasingly trying to undermine this valuable tool, putting us all in danger.

From when we wake up in the morning to when we go to bed at night, we rely on encryption every day. It safeguards the personal security of billions of people around the world and the national security of countries everywhere. Whether it’s our private messages, online banking, air traffic control, medical data, or e-voting, our online information must be protected against eavesdropping and tampering.

We’re working across the globe to protect encryption by helping policymakers understand proposals that could jeopardize our security online.

How Encryption Works

Encryption is the process of scrambling or enciphering information so it can be understood only by someone with the means to return it to its original state. It protects the confidentiality of stored or transmitted data by making it unintelligible: a third party might still gain access to the data, but would not be able to make sense of it. Some forms of encryption, such as secure web browsing, only protect the data while it is being transmitted: on the website and in your browser, the information is unencrypted. Other forms of encryption, such as secure messaging, keep protecting the data until the recipient opens the message – even if that is days or weeks after it arrives.

When messages are encrypted even when handled by intermediaries (such as a messaging server) and are only readable by the sender and receiver, we refer to that as “end-to-end” encryption. End-to-end encryption protects data regardless of the protocols used to transmit it, whereas web browsing relies on secure communications protocols for its encryption.

Learn More about How It Works
Woman sits with two children looking at a tablet.

Strengthening the Internet 

To keep the Internet strong, we’re:

  • Educating policymakers about the importance of protecting and promoting the use of strong encryption
  • Working with advocates everywhere to speak up for strong encryption
  • Collaborating with our partners to mitigate threats to encryption throughout the world
  • Continuing to grow the Global Encryption Coalition to strengthen the efforts of advocates worldwide to promote and protect a more secure and trustworthy Internet

Get Involved 

padlocks attached to a wall
Take Our Free Encryption Advocacy Course

Learn what encryption is, why it matters to everyone, and how you can protect it in this free e-learning course.

squares in different colors
Join the Global Encryption Coalition

Join the powerful advocacy network of  organizations, companies, and cybersecurity experts.

illustration of four people on a video call
Become a Friend of the Global Encryption Coalition

Sign up for news alerts and toolkits to help you with encryption advocacy.

Global Encryption Day
Participate in Global Encryption Day 2024

On 21 October 2024, be a part of an annual day of action and help promote, protect and defend strong encryption.

Latest News

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Resources

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Image copyright:
© Unsplash, © Pexels