📌 Public Key Cryptography Summary
Public key cryptography is a method for securing digital communication by using two different keys. One key is public and can be shared with anyone, while the other key is private and kept secret. Messages encrypted with the public key can only be decrypted with the matching private key, ensuring that only the intended recipient can read them. This approach is widely used to protect sensitive information and verify identities online.
🙋🏻♂️ Explain Public Key Cryptography Simply
Imagine you have a locked box and give everyone a copy of the key to lock it, but only you have the key to unlock it. Anyone can put a message in the box for you, but only you can open it to read the message. This is similar to how public key cryptography works, making sure that messages stay private and secure.
📅 How Can it be used?
Use public key cryptography to securely transmit user credentials between a mobile app and a backend server.
🗺️ Real World Examples
When you visit an online banking website, your browser uses public key cryptography to establish a secure connection. The bank’s server provides its public key, which your browser uses to encrypt information like your login details. Only the bank’s private key can decrypt this information, keeping your sensitive data safe from eavesdroppers.
Email encryption tools such as PGP use public key cryptography to allow users to send confidential emails. The sender encrypts the message with the recipient’s public key, ensuring that only the recipient, who possesses the matching private key, can decrypt and read the email.
✅ FAQ
Why do we need two keys in public key cryptography?
The two-key system makes digital messages much safer. The public key can be shared openly, so anyone can use it to send you a private message. Only your secret private key can unlock and read that message. This way, even if someone intercepts the message, they cannot read it without the private key.
How does public key cryptography help keep my online information safe?
Public key cryptography protects your data by making sure that only the right person can read it. When you shop online or send an important email, your information is scrambled using a public key. Only the intended recipient, with their private key, can unscramble and read it, keeping your details away from prying eyes.
Can anyone use my public key to pretend to be me?
No, your public key is safe to share, as it only helps others send you secure messages. To prove your identity or sign something digitally, you use your private key, which you never share. As long as you keep your private key safe, no one else can pretend to be you.
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