Crypto Key Basics Assignment Answers

Question:

(a) What is the major difference between public key encryption and symmetric key encryption? (b) Explain in detail how public key encryption works. (c) Explain in detail how symmetric key encryption works. View keyboard shortcuts Edit View Insert Format Tools Table 12pt Paragraph

Crypto Key Basics Answer and Explanation

- Public Key Encryption: Utilizes a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. The public key can be freely distributed, while the private key is kept secret.

2. Number of Keys:

- Public Key Encryption: Slower compared to symmetric encryption but provides a secure way for key exchange.

4. Computational Complexity:

- Each user generates a pair of keys: a public key and a private key. The public key can be freely distributed, while the private key is kept secret.

2. Encryption:

- Public key encryption is also used for digital signatures. The sender can use their private key to sign a message, and the recipient can verify the signature using the sender's public key, ensuring the message's integrity and authenticity.

(c) How Symmetric Key Encryption Works:

3. Decryption:

- The recipient uses the same shared key to decrypt the received ciphertext, converting it back to the original plaintext.

In summary, public key encryption is commonly used for secure key exchange, while symmetric key encryption is efficient for securing the actual data transmission once the keys are exchanged securely. Many modern cryptographic systems use a combination of both types to harness the strengths of each.