AQA · GCSE · Computer Science · Higher
Encryption during data transmission
Describe how encryption can make the transmission of data more secure.
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Marking points
- 1 Explains that encryption scrambles data/turns plaintext into ciphertext before transmission.
- 2 Explains that unauthorised users cannot understand the encrypted data.
Full-mark answer
Before transmission, encryption scrambles the plaintext into ciphertext. If an unauthorised person intercepts it, they cannot understand the data without the decryption key.
Why this answer loses marks
Encryption stops data from being intercepted.
Encryption does not prevent interception; explain the change from readable data to ciphertext and why that protects understanding.