Encryption

GenXTechno Tags: asymmetric, symmetric, encryption, keys, public, private

Data encryption provides a way for you to protect your data from prying eyes. It also prevents unauthorized users from transmitting confidential data to the wrong party or performing any modifications to the data.
Data encryption works through a coding process to prevent documents, email messages, and other types of information from being accessed by unauthorized users. In an age of increased use of PC technology and sophisticated hackers, it is very easy for others to intercept your messages and read confidential documents.
“Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called a ciphertext that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood.”

Symmetric Encryption

Symmetric encryption involves transmission of a file through the program you are using. This type of encryption creates a key that jumbles up the file for emailing to the person on the receiving end. In order for the recipient to view the file, the sender must forward a separate decoding key which unscrambles the file so the recipient can view and read it.
The only problem with this type of data encryption is it is possible for someone to intercept the file as well as the decoding key during transmission.

Asymmetric Encryption

This type of data encryption is more secure than symmetric encryption because there are two keys involved with decoding the data, the public key and the private key. When the sender forwards a file, they do so by encrypting it with the recipient's public key. Once the recipient receives the file they access the data by using their private key. The process is much more secure but also takes longer to transmit.
Both types of encryption involve varied algorithms to produce the data depending on whether the encryption is symmetric or asymmetric. The process of the algorithm is used differently according to the type of encryption. This is why the person on the receiving end of the encrypted message must use the same process to access the data that was used to encrypt it.

Encryption Keys

Encryption keys have a wide variety of lengths and they also vary in strength. The possibility of number combinations is infinite, thus making it virtually impossible for even the most sophisticated hacker to guess the key combinations of the encryption.
Public asymmetric encryption schemes also use highly secure algorithms with a different method of encrypting and decrypting. This software utilizes two keys, known as a key pair. One encryption key is the public key, and can be freely shared or given to anyone because its only job is to encrypt. The other key is the private key, and is not shared. The private key is required to decrypt anything that has been encrypted by the public key.