Infrastructure
Encryption
Encryption scrambles information so anyone who grabs it without the key sees nonsense instead of data. It protects you in two places: while information travels between a customer and your site, which is what the padlock icon in the address bar means, and while it sits parked on a laptop or hard drive, which is the part people forget. It does not protect you from someone who has a valid password, because a legitimate login gets everything unscrambled.
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Member lesson
The definition and sources are public. The complete practical lesson is for members.