The steps of a cryptography algorithm to encrypt or decrypt data are called:

• A. Cipher (Cypher)
• B. Encryption Method
• C. Algorithmic Steps
• D. Key Schedule

Answer: (A)

In cryptography, the term cipher refers to the method or algorithm used to convert plaintext into ciphertext and back again. It defines the sequence of operations—such as substitutions, permutations, and rounds—that are applied to the data under a key. The whole procedure of encryption and decryption is carried out by the cipher, which is why this is the best term for the described “steps of a cryptography algorithm.”

Other options are less precise. An encryption method is a generic phrase and doesn’t point to the formal, established term used in the field. “Algorithmic steps” describes what the process does but isn’t a standard name for it. A key schedule, on the other hand, is specifically the process of deriving subkeys from the main key to use during the rounds, not the entire encryption/decryption procedure.