Public key encryption actually uses two sets of keys. One, the public key, is shared widely with anyone you might like to connect with in the future. The other, the private key, is closely protected and known only to you.
Algorithms develop the keys. While they're related to one another, they can't be used to decode one another. Someone who has your public key must do quite a bit of complicated hacking to determine even the rough contours of your private key.
Systems like this preserve both privacy and efficiency. You know your data is protected in transit and at rest. But you don't need lengthy setup conversations with another party to get a connection started.
Experts say it's critical for everyone to understand cryptography, especially if people within your organisation work from home. If you're not using public key encryption properly (or at all), you could be exposing your company to catastrophic risks.
What Is a Cryptographic Key?
We all use keys every day to open up mailboxes, trunks, and doors. Cryptographic keys also lock and unlock barriers to allow access. But unlike their physical counterparts, crypto keys are not made of metal. Instead, they consist of code.
A cryptographic key scrambles numbers and letters so they're unreadable by humans. Your original text (plaintext) moves through a key and takes a new form (cypher). A key undoes the process.
Several types of cryptographic keys exist.
- Public: As the name implies, this type of key is widely available for anyone to see.
- Private: This form of key is closely guarded and protected. Only you should know about it.
- Hybrid: A combination of public/private keys is used in this complex system that is custom-made for very sensitive environments.
In the early days of computing, all companies used symmetric systems. Both parties needed copies of the same key to encrypt and decrypt data.
But as more companies came online and the need to communicate grew, tracking all of those keys became burdensome. In response, developers created asymmetric systems, like public key encryption. With this process, two parties need separate but related keys.
