Ciphertext expansion

Ciphertext expansion refers to the phenomenon where the size of the ciphertext (the encrypted output) is larger than the size of the plaintext (the original message) after a cryptographic operation is performed. This typically occurs in various encryption algorithms and can be a result of several factors: 1. **Padding**: Many encryption algorithms, particularly block ciphers, require the plaintext to be a specific size (often a multiple of a certain block size).