Does encryption ensure the integrity of data?

Encryption primarily serves to protect the confidentiality of data by transforming it into a format that is unreadable to unauthorized users. While it plays a crucial role in ensuring that data remains inaccessible to those without the appropriate decryption key, it does not inherently guarantee the integrity of the data. Integrity refers to the assurance that data is accurate and unaltered during storage and transmission.

To ensure data integrity, additional mechanisms such as hashing or digital signatures are typically employed. Hashing generates a unique value for the data, which can then be checked to confirm that the data has not been modified. Digital signatures provide a method for verifying both the authenticity of the sender and the integrity of the message.

Therefore, while encryption is essential for maintaining confidentiality, it should be complemented with integrity verification methods to ensure that the data remains correct and unaltered. Encryption alone does not achieve this aspect of data protection.