When it comes to encryption, the question of symmetric vs asymmetric can be a difficult one for those who don’t have extensive knowledge in cryptography. In this article, we’ll go over some of the differences between both encryption and what each is most appropriate for so that you’re able to make an informed decision about which method would work better with your needs! It’s important to know about the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption as security is a concern here.
When someone starts talking about security measures they often bring up things like passwords or personal identification numbers (PINs). One type of security measure worth considering among other options is encrypting data on hard drives or USB sticks–especially when critical company information may need protection from hackers. When looking at how different types offer various levels of vulnerability, there are two primary techniques: Symmetrical Encryption and asymmetric encryption.
What is Encryption?
Essentially, encryption in the digital age is a process of converting human-readable data into unintelligible ciphertext. This scrambling of information is possible due to an algorithmic operation that requires a cryptographic key(s) for decoding or deciphering them back into readable form.
We use encryption to protect our privacy and data. There are two main types of encryption: symmetric vs asymmetric — we will compare them in this article.
The following is an explanation of the difference between these two different encryptions, as well as which one you should be using for what type of protection!
What is Symmetric Key encryption?
Symmetric-key encryption is one of the most common types in use today. It’s easy to understand and can be used without any knowledge of complicated mathematics, but that also makes it less secure – a single key has many uses. This type requires some kind of safe transfer method for securely sharing keys between parties such as an established code language or high-level contact with someone who knows how to send messages safely across hostile borders where others might try to intercept them.
What is Asymmetric Key Encryption?
Asymmetric Key Encryption is a newer, more secure form of encryption that provides the ability to encrypt and decrypt messages with two different keys. It’s much slower than symmetric key encryption because it requires extra calculations for every message sent or received – but this slowdown can be minimized by using computers as an intermediary in sending data between users who want privacy from one another.
Key Difference Between Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption:
| Symmetric Key Encryption | Asymmetric Key Encryption | |
| Confidentiality | One key is all you need to keep your messages safe. The same password that protects them also unlocks and encrypts these messages for the recipient in case they should be intercepted by someone who’s not supposed to see it! | Two different cryptographic keys (asymmetric keys) are needed, called the public and the private keys, and are used for encryption and decryption. |
| Speed | It’s a simple process and can be carried out quickly. | It’s a much more complicated process and slower in comparison with symmetric key encryption. |
| Key Lengths | Based on the security requirement, the length of the keys used is typically 128 or 256 bits. | The length of the keys is much larger than symmetric encryption, e.g., the recommended RSA key size is 2048 bits or higher. |
| Security | Less secure due to using a single key for encryption. | Much safer as two keys are involved in encryption and decryption. |
| Data size | Used to transmit big data. | Used to transmit small data. |
| Resource Utilization | Symmetric key encryption works on low usage of resources. | Asymmetric encryption requires high consumption of resources. |
| Key Arrangement | Key arrangement is a big problem | Key arrangement is not a problem at all. |
| Risk | The secret key is shared. Consequently, the risk of compromise is higher. | The private key is not shared, and the overall process is more secure as compared to symmetric encryption. |
| Examples | Examples include RC4, AES, DES, 3DES, etc. | Examples include RSA, Diffie-Hellman, ECC, etc. |
Difference between Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption- In a glance
- Symmetric encryption uses a single key that must be shared among the persons who need to receive the message and Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of public and private keys to encrypt and decode messages when communicating.
- Asymmetric encryption is a relatively new technology compared to symmetric encryption.
- Asymmetric encryption was created to address the inherent problem of having to share the key in symmetric encryption models by employing a pair of public-private keys to eliminate the requirement to share the key.
- When compared to symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption takes more time.
