Airman Medical Certification System Frequently Asked Questions

• Print

What exactly is encryption and why does it make everything more secure?
Encryption is a way to rewrite something in a code, which can be decoded later with the right key. The encryption we use employs a mathematical process for the key, which is made up of a certain number of bits (hence 128-bit encryption). Thus, the higher the number of encryption bits, the better the encryption algorithm.

While you are using the AMCS Internet application, all communication to and from you is encrypted using a maximum of 128 bits. In other words, when you send information to the system, your browser encrypts it using a 128-bit key, then sends it to the server. The system then decodes the information and communicates with the end user via the browser using the key. The key is predetermined when your communication with the Web server is initiated.