| What is public key cryptography? Is it the same as asymmetric cryptography? Public key cryptography uses public key and a private key for encryption. What is the function of each of these components? What is key distribution in the context of this. What is a digital certificate used for? What is Enveloped Public Key Encryption? |
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Hello Ave,
There are different classes of cryptographic algorithm for encryption. Public key cryptography is a class of cryptographic algorithm. Through this technology sender encrypt message and receiver decrypt message and here different keys are getting used.
Since public key cryptography requires two keys and this two keys perform opposite functions that is inverse of each other it is termed as asymmetric cryptography.
Public key and private key both are used for encryption. Both sender and receiver have this tow keys. Sender simply encrypt message with recipients public key, this only can be decrypted by recipients private key. Thus this method is a secure way of sending message over internet. Public keys are basically used for encrypt plaintext or verify a digital signature, whereas private key are used to decrypt encrypted messages and to create digital signatures.
The key distribution refers to public key distribution between users over internet. This is required for data send and receive purpose. Public keys need to be distributed because if one user need to send a message then he or she needs the public key of the receiver so that sender can encrypt the message with receivers public key and receiver can decrypt is with private key of him. A certification authority required for this key distribution who basically issue certificates which contains public keys.
A digital certificate is an electronic form which contains public keys from different key holder and there is also some information which is an identification of both sender and receiver key holder and the certificate authority who issues digital certificate.
Enveloped public key encryption is a secure method of public key encryption apply, where the communication is transmitted very confidentially and the communication is protected from modification by unknown users. This method basically used for sending communication over an open networked environment.
Regards,
Derick Harris
