Since long before computers, cryptography has been around. For thousands of years, governments and armies have used encryption to protect important messages. Advanced encryption is an essential part of any secure IT infrastructure.
It is a way to send information from one computer system to another but to scramble it so only those who have the proper permission can view it. There are two types: symmetrical and asymmetric encryption.
Let’s look at both types of encryption so you know when to use which one. CompTIA Security+, which is entry-level and vendor neutral, offers a deeper look at encryption.
How does Symmetric Encryption work?
Symmetric means that something is the exact same on both sides. Symmetric keys are used by both the sender as well as the receiver of the message. Symmetric encryption provides participants with a level privacy that is impossible to achieve by simply sending plaintext messages that could be read by anyone.
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Start trainingSymmetric encryption uses one key to decrypt and encrypt data. Both the sender and the receiver must have a copy each of the key in order for symmetric encryption to work. There are many ways to share a symmetric key. One method is to use a key agreement protocol.
Diffie-Hellman’s key exchange method was created in 1976. It involves a series data exchanges until an agreed-upon encryption keys is determined. The Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral is an improvement to Diffie-Hellman in that it uses complicated elliptical-curve encryption.
Early developers had the option of using symmetric encryption to deliver messages. They could either send a continuous stream or break it up into segments. Two methods were developed to transfer encrypted data.
Stream cipher can be used for symmetric encryption to send one bit at a given time. However, it isn’t as often used these days. Block ciphers allow data to be encrypted and sent in small sections (64 bits, 128 bits or 256 bits). Block ciphers include DES and Triple DES as well as RC5, RC5, AES, and RC5.
Stream cipher. A stream cipher can be useful when data transmissions are not expected to last for long. RC4, for instance, is a stream cipher which generates a stream (one bit at a moment) of bits that combines encryption and plaintext messages. It was used in wireless LAN (WLAN) early wireless security technologies. Although RC4 is fast and simple, it is not considered to be as secure as other wireless security technologies.
Block cipher. Block cipher is a method of dividing the information into blocks with a predetermined length. It was first used in the Digital Encryption Standard algorithm (DES) in the 1990s. It was initially widely used. Its 56-bit key length led to people questioning whether they could trust it.
Private key encryption is another name for symmetric encryption. Although it is simpler than asymmetric encryption, it does have its limitations. The main problem is getting the key to the person you are sharing data with.
It is difficult to send a private key via the internet. What happens if someone else possesses it? There’s a better way.
How does Asymmetric Encryption work?
Although they are distinct, asymmetric keys can be used together. However, the keys are not treated in the same way. The website that grants access creates both a private and public key. They keep the private key and then send the public key to potential users. A user can use the public key to send an encrypted message from one website to another.
The message is sent in plain text when the sender typed it. The message is encrypted before it hits the public internet. The private key associated with the message can be used by the receiver to decipher it back into plain text.
Because the public and private keys were released
