What is asymmetric cryptography?

Asymmetric cryptography is a type of encryption where the key used to encrypt information is not the same as the key used to decrypt the information. This format is the opposite of symmetrical cryptography, where the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt information. The most common form of asymmetric cryptography is the encryption of the public key. While asymmetric cryptography is generally safer than symmetrical, it is also more difficult to set them and virtually impossible without computer aid.

Public key encryption is by far the most common type of asymmetric cryptography. In this system, each user has two keys, a public key and a private key. The public key is published and available to every person who wants to see it. The private key is mathematically related to the public key, but the algorithm is so complex and variable that there is no reasonable way to derive a private key from the public.

Suppose you need to send a message from one to another. The sender would search for a publicThe receiver key and used it to encrypt the message. When the receiver gets a message, he tries to open it. The public key of the receiver verifies that the private key is authentic. The private key then allows the user to decrypt the message and read.

The main advantage of asymmetric cryptography is individual safety. The two people who exchanged this message may have never met face to face; In fact, he may not even know who the other is. Since individuals can publish their keys under any identity they want, there is a complete anonymity in the system.

This is in direct opposition to symmetrical cryptography, where the same key is used for encryption and decryption. In this case, it is virtually impossible to know that the person is decrypting the message, because the key would have to replace in advance. In the Asymmetric System, it is easy to maintain the key safe but symmetrical systems have potentially manypeople with the same key, which increases the risk that will be endangered.

One of the biggest disadvantages of asymmetric cryptography is its dependence on computers. It is virtually impossible to perform asymmetric encryption or decryption without a computer system. Since the whole process is controlled by a computer, it is also possible to break the system by computer. While some public key encryption is considered almost resistant to cracks, a new crack method that requires a new encryption countermeasure is released each year.