Encryption ::.. What is encryption and how does it protect my business and my customers? Encryption is a mathematical process of coding and decoding information. Encryption ensures that information is scrambled in transit so that only the intended recipient can decode it. The number of bits (40-bit, 56-bit, 128-bit, 256-bit) tells you the size of the key. Like a longer password, a larger key has more possible combinations. In fact, 128-bit encryption is one trillion times one trillion times stronger than 40-bit encryption. At current computing speeds, a hacker with the time, tools, and motivation to attack would require a trillion years to break into a session with 128-bit encryption. SSL Certificates with server-gated cryptography (SGC) enable 128- or 256-bit encryption for over 99.9% of Internet users.