What is a symmetric key?

In cryptography, a symmetric key is one that is used both to encrypt and decrypt information. This means that to decrypt information, one must have the same key that was used to encrypt it. The keys, in practice, represent a shared secret between two or more parties that can be used to maintain a private information link.

What is asymmetric key encryption?

In symmetric key encryption, the same key used to encrypt the data is used to decrypt the data. In asymmetric key encryption, one key is used to only encrypt the data (the public key) and another key is used to decrypt (the private key). First, let’s look at asymmetric key encryption with a simple analogy.

What are the advantages of symmetric key encryption?

It provides confidentiality, authenticity, and non-repudiation. In symmetric key encryption, resource utilization is low as compared to asymmetric key encryption. In asymmetric key encryption, resource utilization is high. It is efficient as it is used for handling large amount of data.

Which key is used for encryption?

If the public key is used for encryption, then the related private key is used for decryption. If the private key is used for encryption, then the related public key is used for decryption. Asymmetric cryptography involves a pair of keys to encrypt and decrypt data.