What is a key in cryptography?

A key in cryptography is a piece of information, usually a string of numbers or letters that are stored in a file, which, when processed through a cryptographic algorithm, can encode or decode cryptographic data.

What are the key types associated with encryption systems and ciphers?

Specific encryption systems and ciphers have key types associated with them, e.g. PGP key, DES key, AES key, RC4 key, BATON key, Kerberos key, etc. ^ "Chapter 5.

What key types are used in a short crypto-period?

When a shorter crypto-period is designed different key types may be used, such as Data Encryption keys, Symmetric Authentication keys, Private Key-Transport keys, Key-Wrapping keys, Authorization keys or RNG keys. This page shows the classification of key types from the point of view of key management.

What is a symmetric key?

Keys may also be grouped into pairs that have one private and one public key, which is referred to as an Asymmetric key pair. Asymmetric keys differ from symmetric keys in that the algorithms use separate keys for encryption and decryption while a symmetric key’s algorithm uses a single key for both processes.