Encryption keys refer to a set of codes or algorithms that are used for encrypting and decrypting data. These keys play an important role in securing information by converting it into another form, making it unreadable without the proper key to decode it. Encryption is commonly used when sending sensitive information over the internet, such as financial transactions, personal messages or confidential documents. The encryption process involves taking plain text and applying a mathematical algorithm that transforms it into an encoded message using one of several possible keys. This makes it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access the data even if they intercept it while in transit.