How XOR Cipher Works: Simple But Effective Encryption

The XOR Cipher is a simple symmetric encryption algorithm that relies on the bitwise Exclusive OR (XOR) logical operation to mask data. It is highly efficient because it operates directly at the CPU bit level, making it a foundational building block for advanced modern cryptosystems like the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). How the XOR Operation Works

The core of the cipher is the XOR logic gate (represented by the symbol ⊕circled plus

). It compares two binary inputs bit-by-bit and outputs a 1 only if the input bits are different. If the inputs are the same, it outputs a 0. Here is the truth table that governs the entire process: Input A (Plaintext) Input B (Key) Output (Ciphertext) 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 The Reversibility Property

The primary reason XOR is favored in cryptography is because it is self-inverse (reversible). Applying the exact same key to the ciphertext using the exact same XOR operation naturally reverses the process and restores the original data. XOR Encryption Algorithm – 101 Computing