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One key might be used to start an automobile, while another might be used to open a safe deposit box. The automobile key will not work to open the safe deposit box and vice versa. This analogy provides some insight on how cryptographic key types work. These keys are categorized in respect to how they are used and what properties they possess.
seed key - (NSA) a key used to initialize a cryptographic device so it can accept operational keys using benign transfer techniques. Also a key used to initialize a pseudorandom number generator to generate other keys. signature key - public key cryptography can also be used to electronically sign messages. The private key is used to create the ...
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. Based on the used method, the key can be different sizes and varieties, but in all cases, the strength of the encryption relies on ...
Public-key cryptography, or asymmetric cryptography, is the field of cryptographic systems that use pairs of related keys. Each key pair consists of a public key and a corresponding private key . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Key pairs are generated with cryptographic algorithms based on mathematical problems termed one-way functions .
Symmetric-key encryption: the same key is used for both encryption and decryption. Symmetric-key algorithms [a] are algorithms for cryptography that use the same cryptographic keys for both the encryption of plaintext and the decryption of ciphertext. The keys may be identical, or there may be a simple transformation to go between the two keys. [1]
For example, in applications where the key is used for a cipher, the key schedule in the cipher may be modified so that it takes a specific length of time to perform. Another way is to use cryptographic hash functions that have large memory requirements – these can be effective in frustrating attacks by memory-bound adversaries. [2]
Key exchange (also key establishment) is a method in cryptography by which cryptographic keys are exchanged between two parties, allowing use of a cryptographic algorithm. In the Diffie–Hellman key exchange scheme, each party generates a public/private key pair and distributes the public key.
A cryptosystem is a set of cryptographic algorithms that map ciphertexts and plaintexts to each other. [1] Private-key cryptosystems. Private-key cryptosystems use ...