[Joseph Doss]

Symmetric ciphers use a single encryption key to both encrypt and decrypt data. Think of a lock to your house, the items inside of your home being the “data”. outside looking in the items or “data” cannot be viewed but once inside you can see the items (data) The encryption key being the key to your door if you use you key to unlock your door or “decrypt” the data you can see what is inside. The door to the home can only be locked and unlocked by the same key, just as your data is encrypted and decrypted by the same single key.

An example of an encryption method would be the Data Encryption Standard, this encryption method in a way scrambles or encodes your data (the house and lock) and a key to un-encoding that data is created (your door key) anyone with that key can open the door, but without the key the door stays locked (your data stays secure)