diff --git a/src/PubNub/Crypto/AesCbcCryptor.php b/src/PubNub/Crypto/AesCbcCryptor.php
index 0915ae71..2f80ffbc 100644
--- a/src/PubNub/Crypto/AesCbcCryptor.php
+++ b/src/PubNub/Crypto/AesCbcCryptor.php
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public function encrypt(string $text, ?string $cipherKey = null): CryptoPayload
         return new CryptoPayload($encrypted, $iv, self::CRYPTOR_ID);
     }
 
-    public function decrypt(CryptoPayload $payload, ?string $cipherKey = null): string
+    public function decrypt(CryptoPayload $payload, ?string $cipherKey = null)
     {
         $text = $payload->getData();
         $secret = $this->getSecret($cipherKey);
diff --git a/src/PubNub/Crypto/Cryptor.php b/src/PubNub/Crypto/Cryptor.php
index 0d6d9767..cf2bcac9 100644
--- a/src/PubNub/Crypto/Cryptor.php
+++ b/src/PubNub/Crypto/Cryptor.php
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ abstract class Cryptor
     public const CRYPTOR_ID = null;
 
     abstract public function encrypt(string $text, ?string $cipherKey = null): CryptoPayload;
-    abstract public function decrypt(CryptoPayload $payload, ?string $cipherKey = null): string;
+    abstract public function decrypt(CryptoPayload $payload, ?string $cipherKey = null);
 }
diff --git a/src/PubNub/Crypto/LegacyCryptor.php b/src/PubNub/Crypto/LegacyCryptor.php
index c07ffa4e..d09931d5 100644
--- a/src/PubNub/Crypto/LegacyCryptor.php
+++ b/src/PubNub/Crypto/LegacyCryptor.php
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public function encrypt(string $text, ?string $cipherKey = null): Payload
         return new Payload($encryptedWithIV, '', self::CRYPTOR_ID);
     }
 
-    public function decrypt(Payload $payload, ?string $cipherKey = null): string
+    public function decrypt(Payload $payload, ?string $cipherKey = null)
     {
         $text = $payload->getData();
         if (strlen($text) === 0) {
diff --git a/src/PubNub/CryptoModule.php b/src/PubNub/CryptoModule.php
index 98c94a4e..b2d52029 100644
--- a/src/PubNub/CryptoModule.php
+++ b/src/PubNub/CryptoModule.php
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public function registerCryptor(Cryptor $cryptor, ?string $cryptorId = null): se
         return $this;
     }
 
-    protected function stringify(mixed $data): string
+    protected function stringify($data): string
     {
         if (is_string($data)) {
             return $data;
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ protected function stringify(mixed $data): string
         }
     }
 
-    public function encrypt(mixed $data, ?string $cryptorId = null): string
+    public function encrypt($data, ?string $cryptorId = null): string
     {
         if (($data) == '') {
             throw new PubNubResponseParsingException("Encryption error: message is empty");
@@ -70,12 +70,26 @@ public function encrypt(mixed $data, ?string $cryptorId = null): string
         return base64_encode($header . $cryptoPayload->getData());
     }
 
-    public function decrypt(string $input)
+    public function decrypt($cipherText)
     {
-        if (strlen($input) == '') {
+        if (is_array($cipherText)) {
+            if (array_key_exists("pn_other", $cipherText)) {
+                $cipherText = $cipherText["pn_other"];
+            } else {
+                if (is_array($cipherText)) {
+                    throw new PubNubResponseParsingException("Decryption error: message is not a string");
+                } else {
+                    throw new PubNubResponseParsingException("Decryption error: pn_other object key missing");
+                }
+            }
+        } elseif (!is_string($cipherText)) {
+            throw new PubNubResponseParsingException("Decryption error: message is not a string or object");
+        }
+
+        if (strlen($cipherText) == '') {
             throw new PubNubResponseParsingException("Decryption error: message is empty");
         }
-        $data = base64_decode($input);
+        $data = base64_decode($cipherText);
         $header = $this->decodeHeader($data);
 
         if (!$this->cryptorMap[$header->getCryptorId()]) {
@@ -157,4 +171,10 @@ public static function aesCbcCryptor(string $cipherKey, bool $useRandomIV): self
             aesCbcCryptor::CRYPTOR_ID
         );
     }
+
+    // for backward compatibility
+    public function getCipherKey()
+    {
+        return $this->cryptorMap[$this->defaultCryptorId]->getCipherKey();
+    }
 }