Introduction

Cryptography is the science of securing information by transforming it into an unreadable format, ensuring that only authorized parties can access or understand it. It plays a vital role in protecting data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity in digital communications and systems.

Through methods like encryption, hashing, and digital signatures, cryptography prevents unauthorized access, tampering, and fraud. In the cybersecurity landscape, it is a fundamental tool used in securing everything from online transactions and communications to sensitive data storage.