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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]
Data manipulation in symmetric systems is significantly faster than in asymmetric systems. Asymmetric systems use a "public key" to encrypt a message and a related "private key" to decrypt it. The advantage of asymmetric systems is that the public key can be freely published, allowing parties to establish secure communication without having a ...
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 .
Public-key encryption was first described in a secret document in 1973; [15] beforehand, all encryption schemes were symmetric-key (also called private-key). [16]: 478 Although published subsequently, the work of Diffie and Hellman was published in a journal with a large readership, and the value of the methodology was explicitly described. [17]
It uses a symmetric encryption algorithm because it takes less time to encrypt and decrypt large amounts of data than if an asymmetric key cipher is used. The symmetric encryption algorithm used will vary depending on the version and configuration of the operating system; see Algorithms used by Windows version below.
With public key cryptography, only the private key must be kept secret, but with symmetric cryptography, it is important to maintain the confidentiality of the key. Kerckhoff's principle states that the entire security of the cryptographic system relies on the secrecy of the key. [6]
Symmetric key cryptography—compute a ciphertext decodable with the same key used to encode (e.g., AES) Public-key cryptography—compute a ciphertext decodable with a different key used to encode (e.g., RSA) Digital signatures—confirm the author of a message; Mix network—pool communications from many users to anonymize what came from whom
In addition to the normal advantages of a hybrid cryptosystem, using asymmetric encryption for the KEK in a cloud context provides easier key management and separation of roles, but can be slower. [13] In cloud systems, such as Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services, a key management system (KMS) can be available as a service.