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The process that converts plain text into cypher text is known as data encryption. This technique is used to protect sensitive information by transforming it into a format that cannot be easily understood without the appropriate decryption key.

Encryption takes readable text (plain text) and scrambles it into an unreadable format (cypher text) using mathematical algorithms and keys. This is essential for ensuring the confidentiality and security of data, particularly when it is transmitted over unsecure networks, such as the internet.

Data encoding, while related, involves transforming data into a different format but does not necessarily obscure its meaning. Data decryption is the opposite process, where cypher text is converted back into plain text. Data compression reduces the size of data for storage or transmission but does not involve changing its content into an unreadable form.