The Importance of Encryption in Modern Society Preserving Privacy, Security, and Freedom

Abstract

In a time where digital privacy is increasingly fragile, cryptography remains one of the most essential tools to safeguard individuals, organizations, and society against those who wish to exploit personal information. Yet its role is often misunderstood and, in political and legal contexts, sometimes challenged through proposals for weakened standards or backdoors.

This thesis highlights the importance of cryptography for protecting privacy, security, and freedom, while also reflecting on the risks of undermining it. To complement my theoretical analysis, I am making a practical demonstration that is developed in the form of a mobile app. The app allows users to experiment with both simple and advanced encryption methods, combining them into customizable “Pipelines/Chains” to encrypt and decrypt messages. In doing so, the project aims to educate people about the strengths and limitations of cryptographic systems to the degree where people with little or no education inside the field can learn to understand Cryptography, from at least a basic level to potentially more advanced levels if they want to dig deeper.