When the message is encrypted into a state which is totally incomprehensible and undecipherable, this is known as the ciphertext. So, to illustrate all of this, with the previous example, when the sending party creates the written message of “I LOVE YOU”, this is the plaintext or the cleartext. Once this message is encrypted into the format of “UYO I VEOL” and while it is in transit, it becomes known as the ciphertext. Then, once the receiving party gets this ciphertext and then decrypts it into a comprehensible and understandable form of “I LOVE YOU,” this message then becomes the plaintext or the cleartext again.
