Symmetric Vs Asymmetric Encryption

It’s important to first understand encryption before we get into the main topics of this piece. Encryption is a method or mechanism that empowers you to hide your message or data in a way that only the sanctioned people can access. The origins of encryption can be traced back to the times of the great Julius Caesar. Caesar used this method to send his private/ confidential messages. Caesar’s method, normally known as Caesar’s Cipher is one of the most unpretentious methods of encryption. Compared to it, today’s encryption systems are much more complex and advanced. Today, extremely complex algorithms are employed to convert practical information into an unintelligible format.

Once encrypted, the message/data can only be decrypted using the proper keys, known as ‘Cryptographic Keys’. Basically, a cryptographic key is a password that is used to encrypt and decrypt information. There are two types of cryptographic keys, and they are, Symmetric Key and an Asymmetric Key.

Symmetric Encryption:

Symmetric encryption is a traditional process of Encryption. It is also the simplest of two techniques. Symmetric encryption is accomplished by means of only one secret key known as ‘Symmetric Key’ that is owned by both parties. This key is functional to encode and decode the information. The sender uses this key before sending the message and the receiver uses it to decrypt the encoded message.

This is a pretty straightforward method and as a result, it doesn’t take much time. When it comes to moving huge data, symmetrical keys are favoured. Caesar’s Cipher happens to be a good example of symmetric encryption. Modern tactics of symmetric encryption are implemented using algorithms such as RC4, AES, DES, 3DES, QUAD, Blowfish etc.

The most common form of symmetric encryption comes once an encoded connection has been negotiated between a client and a server with an SSL certificate installed. Once the connection is transferred, two 256-bit session keys are created and traded so that encrypted communiqué can ensue.

Asymmetric Encryption:

Asymmetric Encryption is a comparatively new and complex mode of Encryption. Complex because it includes two cryptographic keys to contrivance data security. These keys are called a Public Key and a Private Key. The Public key, as the name suggests, is available to everyone who needs to send a message. On the other hand, the private key is kept at a secure place by the owner of the public key.

The public key encrypts the data to be sent. It uses a specific algorithm in doing so. Whereas, the private key, which is in proprietorship of the receiver, decrypts it. The Same algorithm is behind both these processes. 

The contribution of two keys makes Asymmetric Encryption a complex technique. Thus, it proves to be enormously beneficial in terms of data security. Diffie-Hellman and RSA algorithm are the most extensively used algorithms for Asymmetric Encryption.

The piece has covered some of the most fundamentals of symmetric and asymmetric encryption in a very simple and abstract way. Please comment your thoughts or doubts down below.