What is the length of the key (password) in encryption?

Question

Encryption

What does encryption key length mean please explain how the encryption key length can be 256 bits if i set the password less than eg 1111 ?
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Encryption key and password are two different things. For example, the password can be empty or consist of one character, for example, "1", "300" characters, but the algorithm you use converts it into a 256-bit key, and encodes the information with it. Another thing is that a short password will not protect against hacking.

Answer 2

There is such a thing as a hash function. This is a mathematical function that converts any number of your characters (such as your password) into a digital string of a specific, predetermined length (such as an encryption key). At the same time, the number of characters that it converts can be from 1 to a lot (even a whole book), and anyway, as a result of the conversion, a string of a certain length will be born.
Of course, other algorithms are used to obtain the encryption key, but to make it clearer for you, you can look at the MD5 hash algorithm, for example here: https://md5-online.ru/ Just enter any number of characters (even one) in the topmost field and, after pressing the "Compute" button, you will see how your characters will always be converted into a 128-bit hash string.

Answer 3

Encryption is carried out with a key of the specified length.
You either specify a key (of a strictly specified length), or a password, which, with the help of hashing and truncation, turns into a key of the desired length.