I like that metaphor. Encrypting data isn't so much like locking it in a safe as it is hiding it somewhere in the key space. The safe metaphor breaks down becau

I like that metaphor. Encrypting data isn't so much like locking it in a safe as it is hiding it somewhere in the key space. The safe metaphor breaks down because you can drill a hole in the safe to see if there is anything inside. But you can't prove that some encrypted data exists any more than you can prove that a particular item is sitting around somewhere on Earth.