International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

The crucial and complex role of encryption as the cornerstone technology of modern data protection frameworks is thoroughly examined in this review. Beyond basic confidentiality, the paper describes how the three cryptographic primitives—symmetric (AES-256), asymmetric (RSA/ECC), and hashing—combine to create the essential triad of confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) throughout the data lifecycle. The synthesis examines the critical role that encryption plays in contemporary settings, especially in cloud computing (protecting data in transit and at rest) and meeting strict regulatory requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS) [1, 1]. The report concludes by analyzing cutting-edge cryptographic trends, such as ZeroKnowledge Proofs (ZKPs), Homomorphic Encryption (HE), and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), showing a paradigm shift towards safeguarding operational data and reducing potential computational threats