# Encryption guides: from the definition to the tools you can run today

URL: https://webvpn.org/encryption/
Updated: 2026-09-14

Encryption explained without hype: how AES, RSA and TLS work, PGP and GPG, end-to-end messaging, BitLocker, FileVault, LUKS and VeraCrypt, encrypted DNS and post-quantum.

## How to use this section

Start with Encryption basics if you want to understand what the word means and why a key matters more than the algorithm name. AES and ciphers and HTTPS and TLS cover the algorithms behind everyday labels such as AES-256 and the padlock in the browser. Email and PGP and Messaging and end-to-end encryption are about protecting communication, while Cloud storage, Full-disk encryption, VeraCrypt and Encrypting files are about protecting stored data on laptops, phones, USB drives and cloud accounts. Encrypted DNS explains the lookups that leak even when a page is HTTPS, and Quantum and post-quantum separates real timelines from headlines.

Related reading elsewhere on this site: are VPNs safe explains the encryption a VPN adds and the trust it moves, and the anonymity guides cover the tools that hide who is talking rather than what is said.

## FAQ

Q: I know nothing about encryption. Where do I start?
A: Start with the article on what encryption is, then read symmetric vs asymmetric encryption. Together they explain keys, algorithms and the two ways a key can be shared, which is all the theory the practical guides assume.

Q: Which of these tools should an ordinary person actually use?
A: Turn on the full-disk encryption built into your operating system, use an end-to-end encrypted messaging app for private conversations, enable encrypted DNS in your browser or system, and encrypt any backup that leaves your house. Those four steps cover most real-world risks and each has a guide here.

Q: Do these guides recommend paid products?
A: Almost every tool described here is free and open source, or already built into your operating system. Where a commercial product is mentioned, it is to explain how it works, and the page never carries affiliate links.