The word encryption comes up a lot. Messaging apps are adding end-to-end encryption, the “crypto wars” are back, smartphones should (or shouldn’t) have encryption turned on by default. It’s everywhere. But what exactly is it again? There are lots of great guides out there like Slate’s “Encryption 101,” but now there’s a way to understand the basics that’s even more fun … and involves emojis!
On Tuesday, Mozilla announced Codemoji, a tool to teach people about the concepts that underlie encryption. Codemoji turns emojis into ciphers. You put a word or phrase into the system, choose a starting point emoji, and then it spits out a string of them representing an encoded version of the letters in your word or sentence.
This type of algorithm, which takes an input and encodes it using a series of steps so it can later be decoded by running the steps in reverse, is the foundation of the digital systems we call encryption. Beyond Codemoji, Mozilla has ongoing efforts to teach people about encryption and its value.
“We believe Codemoji is a first step for everyday Internet users to better understand encryption,” Mozilla writes. But don’t forget, “Codemoji is intended as a learning tool, not a platform for sharing personal data. Thankfully, modern encryption is much stronger than simple emoji ciphers. If you are going to be sending sensitive information, best to use a more sophisticated security tool.”
Codemoji won’t make you a master cryptographer, but given the dire tone of the news lately, it’s a nice change to see encryption in a fun, positive light.
