PGP & GPG

Cryptography Kindergarten 21

Asymmetric Algorithms

Symmetric algorithms are usually much easier to attack than

asymmetric algorithms, which use different keys for encryption

and decryption. You’ve probably seen old movies in which peo-

ple cut a coin in a jigsaw pattern so two people who never met

before know that they are speaking with the correct person.

Asymmetric encryption keys work just like that: You must have

both halves of the key to have unfettered access to the mes-

sage. You encrypt the message with one unique key, and the

recipient decrypts it with a different unique key. Although this

process might seem miraculous to someone who has ...