What is plain text?

Plain text refers to the original, unencrypted form of a message that can be easily read and understood without any decryption process. It is the version of the data in its most basic and straightforward format before any cryptographic protections, such as encryption, are applied.

When data is encrypted, it becomes cipher text, which obscures the original content to prevent unauthorized access and ensure confidentiality. Hence, the statement that plain text is the original message before encryption accurately captures its role in the encryption process.

In contrast, other choices refer to different concepts related to data handling and security. The encrypted form of a message is known as cipher text, a cryptographic algorithm is a systematic method used for encryption and decryption, and a checksum is a value used to verify the integrity of data but does not pertain to the original format of a message.