In the previous two scenarios, I have explained how digital encryption and digital signatures work with PKI. But these scenarios can be combined to provide encryption and signing at the same time. In order to do that, we use two additional techniques:
- Symmetric keys: A one-time symmetric key will be used for the message encryption process, as it is faster than asymmetric key encryption algorithms. This key needs to be available for the receiver, but to improve security, it will still be encrypted using the receiver's public key.
- Hashing: During the signing process, the system will generate a one-way hash value to represent the original data. Even if someone manages to get that hash value, it will not be ...
