Explanation in layman terms

Think of sharing secrets over insecure channels like shouting your credit card number across a crowded room. You might think you're only talking to your friend, but everyone in between can hear you.

When you send sensitive information through email or Slack, it's like passing a note through a chain of strangers. Each person in the chain -- your email provider, network administrators, third-party app integrations, and potentially malicious actors -- can read your message.

End-to-end encryption is like having a special lockbox that only you and your intended recipient have keys to. Even if someone intercepts the lockbox, they can't open it without the specific key. The message stays scrambled (encrypted) from the moment it leaves your device until it reaches your recipient's device.

Popular services like email and Slack don't provide this level of protection. While they encrypt messages in transit, they can still be read by service providers, administrators, and hackers who gain access to their servers. This is why API keys, passwords, database credentials, and other secrets should never be shared through these channels.

Gain Deeper Understanding

Action	What you'll learn
Read this article on End-to-End Encryption by PreVeil	Difference between encryption in transit vs. at rest, and why E2EE provides the highest level of security for sensitive communications.
Review Secure File Sharing Methods by Mailfence	Five secure methods for sharing sensitive files plus their respective tradeoffs.
Read this IBM explainer on End-to-End Encryption	The four-step process of E2EE, symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption schemes

Put it into practice?