Asymmetric Cryptography (Public Key Cryptography)
Definition:
Asymmetric cryptography is a type of encryption where two different keys are used:
- A public key to encrypt data
- A private key to decrypt data
Because the keys are different, this is called Public Key Cryptography.
How It Works:
- The sender encrypts data using the recipient’s public key.
- The recipient decrypts the data using their own private key.
The sender does not need to share any secret key before sending the message — this solves the key sharing problem in symmetric cryptography.
Diagram 1: Public Key Encryption & Decryption
Diagram 2: Digital Signature using Public Key Cryptography
