Bernstein also wanted to publish his encryption program on a Web site without fear of prosecution. He won his case in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the decision was returned to the court for a full panel review. When regulations surrounding encryption changed, Cohn said she and the government attorneys asked that the case be returned to the lower court for rehearing. But it will ensure that the government can't change its mind again. They're more likely now to stick with their current position.
Encryption is a process of turning written language into a scrambled, unrecognizable form.
Most encryption today uses a mathematical program that transforms so-called plaintext into ciphertext. A key, or password, is then used to crack the code and return the information to readable form. Encryption is widely viewed as a critical component to protecting privacy and to bolstering consumer confidence in e-commerce.