In the previous blog we have seen what is encryption in this blog let us understand what are the various types of encryption.
There are two types of encryption they are as follows:
- Symmetric Encryption
- Asymmetric Encryption
What do you mean by symmetric encryption?
Symmetric encryption uses only one key to encrypt as well as to decrypt the information.
The definition is confusing right let me explain it using a real-time example:
In our daily life we do use our credit cards or debit cards to make an online purchase or in-shop purchase.
How is the purchase initiated and is only possible for the owner of the card to complete the transaction?
When we take a debit or a credit card the bank asks to link it with our mobile number and send us the card along with a secret key which is once useless after the card is activated because the old secret key is replaced with a new key which is only known to us.
But why are we studying all this?
Now when we are sent the credit or debit card it will have a silver emblem or silver chip on the left of your card which is a chip consisting of a unique cryptogram when inserted into the machine will decrypt the code to process the transaction and make it successful.
Examples:
Now let us understand what are the examples of the symmetric encryption.
Blowfish, AES, RC4, DES, RC5, and RC6 which will be looking into in the next blog.
Now let us understand what asymmetric encryption is and what is RSA?
What is Asymmetric Encryption?
Asymmetric encryption uses two keys namely public key to encrypt and as well decrypt information but private key will be only with the sender and the one who receives it but to no one.
Now let us understand this definition with a real-time example:
WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Proton, VPN all these use the asymmetric encryption.
As it is clear from the definition that there will be involvement of two keys public key and private key but why two keys?
Say you want to make a new product and want to keep you information confidential and just reveal your product name but not the features of that product.
What you will do?
Use the public key to just reveal your product name whereas use the private key to keep your information confidential.
What is RSA?
RSA(Rivest Shamir Adleman) is a public key cryptosystem used to secure the data transmission.
In a public key cryptosystem the encryption key is public whereas the decrypted key is distinct. An RSA works like this the user first will create a public key and publishes it which will contain two large prime numbers in it.
But why to generate two prime numbers?
The message which you generate suppose hi is based on say two prime numbers and is public to everyone now say you have another message how are you which again is generated on two prime numbers which you the sender will know and the receiver will know and the receiver will know when you reveal the prime numbers to him/her which will stay private to you the sender and him/her the receiver.
Detailed operation of RSA will be discussed in the next blog.