Describe symmetric and asymmetric encryption.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Symmetric Encryption. Encryption methodologies that require the same secret key to encipher and decipher the message use what is called private-key encryption or symmetric encryption. Symmetric encryption methods use mathematical operations that can be programmed into extremely fast computing algorithms so that the encryption and decryption processes are executed quickly, even by small computers. The primary challenge of symmetric key encryption is getting the key to the receiver, a process that must be conducted out of band (meaning through a channel or band other than the one carrying the ciphertext) to avoid interception.Asymmetric Encryption. Another category of encryption techniques is asymmetric encryption. While symmetric encryption systems use a single key both to encrypt and decrypt a message, asymmetric encryption uses two different but related keys, and either key can be used to encrypt or decrypt the message. Asymmetric encryption can be used to provide elegant solutions to problems of secrecy and verification. This technique has its highest value when one key is used as a private key, which means that it is kept secret (much like the key of symmetric encryption), known only to the owner of the key pair, and the other key serves as a public key, which means that it is stored in a public location where anyone can use it.