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Cryptography: Symmetric vs Asymmetric Encryption
AES-256 vs RSA / ECC, Public/Private key pairs, and Digital Signatures
Cryptography provides confidentiality and non-repudiation through mathematical algorithms that transform plain text into unreadable ciphertext.
Symmetric vs Asymmetric Encryption
Symmetric Encryption (e.g. AES-256-GCM): Uses the identical secret key for both encryption and decryption. Extremely fast and computationally efficient; ideal for encrypting data at rest (hard drives, databases).
Asymmetric Encryption (e.g. RSA-4096, ECC Curve25519): Uses a mathematically linked Key Pair: a Public Key (distributed freely for encryption) and a Private Key (kept secret for decryption).
Digital Signatures: The sender encrypts a hash with their Private Key; anyone with their Public Key can verify that the message originated from the authentic sender and was not modified.
| Type | Key Usage | Performance | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symmetric (AES) | Single shared secret key | Very Fast (Hardware accelerated) | Database encryption, disk encryption, bulk data |
| Asymmetric (RSA/ECC) | Public key + Private key pair | Slower compute | TLS handshake, SSH keys, digital signatures, JWTs |
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Test Yourself With Exercise
In asymmetric public-key cryptography, which key must be kept strictly secret by the owner and never shared?