What is Plaintext?

Plaintext is an information format that refers to unformatted text in a computer environment that can be understood or deciphered by an individual or computer-based software system. In regards to security, plaintext processed over the internet must be equipped with an added layer of security to remain confidential. The process of encryption through the use of an encryption algorithm or cipher converts plaintext into ciphertext, which is encrypted data that is unreadable.