Definition
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversarial behaviour. 1
Symmetry
| symmetric | asymmetric | |
|---|---|---|
| Keys | Same key for encryption and decryption | Different keys (public and private) |
| Secrecy | Key must be kept secret | Only private key must be kept secret |
| Key pairs | One key per pair of partners | One key pair per person |
| Performance | Fast | Rather slow |
Symmetric
Definition
Link to originalSymmetric Cryptography
Symmetric cryptography is the branch of cryptography in which cryptographic operations (e.g. encryption and decryption) use the same key.
Asymmetric
Definition
Link to originalAsymmetric Cryptography
Asymmetric cryptography is the branch of cryptography in which cryptographic operations use different keys (e.g. one key for encryption, one for decryption).