6 Things You Need to Know About Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption

Charlotte Miller

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Do you want to encrypt your internet communication without the fear of it being intercepted by anyone? Then encryption is for you!

Symmetric and Asymmetric encryption are two types of algorithms that are used to encrypt data. Knowing the difference between these two types of encryption can help ensure that any sensitive data will stay secure, even if only one type of encryption is used.

1) Symmetric encryption is the most common form of encryption, while asymmetric is less common

Asymmetric is less common because it requires a lot more processing power to encrypt and decrypt data than symmetric does.

In fact, that is the main difference between symmetric and asymmetric algorithms.

Symmetric encryption can encrypt both confidentiality and integrity, while asymmetric only offers confidentiality.

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2) Symmetric encryption can be used for both confidentiality and integrity, while asymmetric only offers confidentiality

Data encrypted by a symmetric key can have two purposes: confidentiality and data integrity. Confidentiality is the principle of keeping information secret; for example, you might encrypt an email to ensure that only intended recipients can view its contents. Data integrity, on the other hand, ensures that any changes made to a file over time are detected.

3) Symmetric algorithms are easier to crack than asymmetrical ones

Symmetric algorithms are easier to crack than asymmetrical ones.

Therefore, symmetric encryption should not be used to encrypt a file that is secret. Asymmetric encryption should instead be used to share a symmetric key between authorized parties who will use it for confidentiality purposes.

4) The key size affects how long it will take an algorithm to break through the code, so using a larger key size increases security but takes longer time to process

A public-key system uses two different keys at once: a public and a private one.

5) When using symmetric encryption, the same key is used for both encrypting and decrypting data

The main difference between the two is that with symmetric encryption, the same key is used for both encrypting and decrypting data.

Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, uses one key to encrypt (or “seal”) data and another to decrypt (or “unseal”) it.

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6) A public-key system uses two different keys at once: a public and private one

The other major type of encryption is asymmetric (or public-key) encryption.

Asymmetric encryption algorithms are based on mathematical problems that are easy to solve, but hard to reverse engineer.

A public-key system uses two different keys at once: a public and a private one.

The public key can be shared with anyone, while the private key must remain known only to its owner. These two keys are mathematically associated with each other.

Conclusion

So, what’s the difference between symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption? The main difference is that with symmetric encryption, the same key is used for both encrypting and decrypting data. Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, uses one key to encrypt (or “seal”) data and another to decrypt (or “unseal”) it.

Now that you know the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption, secure your internet communication with encryption-based services like Hushmail.

To learn even more about encryption visit the Keyfactor blog.