Padding (cryptography)

When you want to send a secret message to someone over the internet, you use something called cryptography. This is like a secret code that only you and the person you are sending the message to can understand.

One important aspect of cryptography is making sure your secret message is the right size. Sometimes, your secret message might be too short or too long and this can cause problems. Imagine if you were trying to put a big puzzle piece into a small hole, it wouldn't fit, right?

Padding is like making a t-shirt fit you perfectly. Your secret message is like a t-shirt, and padding is like adding extra material to make sure it fits perfectly. This extra material is just a bunch of random numbers or letters that are added to your secret message to make it the right size.

For example, if your secret message is too short, padding will add some extra letters or numbers to it until it is the perfect size. And if your message is too long, padding will cut some parts off to make it the perfect size.

This padding makes sure that your secret message is the correct size for the cryptography to work properly, so your message stays secret and safe.