Asymmetric cryptography

Asymmetric cryptography refers to a type of cryptography whereby the key that is used to encrypt the data is different from the key that is used to decrypt the data. Also known as public key cryptography, it uses public and private keys in order to encrypt and decrypt data, respectively. Various asymmetric cryptography schemes are in use, such as RSA, DSA, and El-Gammal.

An overview of public key cryptography is shown in the following diagram:

Encryption decryption using public/private key

The diagram explains how a sender encrypts the data using a recipient's public key and is then transmitted over the network to the receiver. Once it reaches the receiver, it can be decrypted using the receiver's private key. This way, the private key remains on the receiver's side and there is no need to share keys in order to perform encryption and decryption, which is the case with symmetric encryption.

Another diagram shows how public key cryptography can be used...