ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pirate decryption

So imagine that you have a really cool secret message that you want to send to your friend. But you don't want anyone else to see it because it's just for your friend's eyes only. So you decide to create a code that only your friend can understand.

Now, imagine if someone else wanted to see your secret message and they didn't know the code. They might try different things like guessing, or maybe they'll try to use a special tool to figure out the code. If they're successful, they'll be able to read your secret message, even though it was meant just for your friend.

Pirate decryption is kind of like that. Have you ever heard of pirates? They were people who traveled on ships long ago and they would steal things like gold and treasure. Well, some pirates today are stealing something called digital content. This means things like movies, music, and video games that people sell.

When someone sells a digital product like a movie or video game, they usually put a code on it to keep people from just copying it for free. But some people who want the movie or game but don't want to pay for it, will try to break the code so that they can get the product without paying.

This is where pirate decryption comes in. Pirates will use special tools and techniques to try to break the code so that they can steal the digital product. And just like the example with your secret message, if they're successful, they'll be able to get the product without paying for it.

But just like it's not fair for someone to steal your secret message meant just for your friend, it's not fair for someone to steal a digital product that is meant to be sold. That's why it's important to buy the products you want instead of trying to pirate them.
Related topics others have asked about: