4.1 Encryption

Encryption is the method of encoding a message or data so that its contents are hidden from outsiders. The plain-text message or data in its original form may contain information the author or distributor wants to keep secret, such as the firmware for a microcontroller. For example, when a microcontroller is updated in the field it may prove difficult to secure the firmware against illicit copying attempts and reverse engineering. Encrypting the firmware will render it useless until it is decrypted.