What is the process of transforming encrypted data back into a readable format called?

The process of transforming encrypted data back into a readable format is known as decryption. When data is encrypted, it is transformed into a secure format that cannot be easily read or understood. Decryption is the reverse process where this encrypted data is converted back to its original form, making it understandable again.

This is an essential aspect of data security, as it allows authorized users to access and utilize the information while keeping it secure from unauthorized access. The use of decryption ensures that even if the data is intercepted, it remains protected and unreadable without the appropriate key or method for decryption.

In contrast, encryption is the initial process of securing data by converting it into an unreadable format. Encoding refers to converting data into a different format for purposes like data transmission or storage, which does not necessarily involve security. Decompression is related to restoring data that has been compressed for storage efficiency but is not connected to the security or encryption processes.