ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Burmester's theory

Think of a secret handshake between two friends. They both know the secret movements or gestures they need to do to complete the handshake. This is known as a shared secret, something that only the two friends know.

Burmester's theory is like a secret handshake between two computers (or devices). When two computers communicate with each other, they need to establish a shared secret so that no one else can spy on their conversation or steal their information. This shared secret is a special code called a key.

Burmester's theory helps them establish this key, in a way that no one else can guess or calculate it, even if they intercept the conversation.

Just like how the two friends need to do specific movements in a particular order to complete the secret handshake, two computers exchange some numbers and do some complex mathematical operations to generate the key. Burmester's theory ensures that this process of generating the key is secure, and no one else can steal the key, neither the sender nor the receiver, or anyone eavesdropping in the conversation.

Once the two computers have established this shared key, they can use it to encrypt and decrypt messages. It means that when they send a message to each other, it will be scrambled in such a way that only the receiver can read it, using the shared key. This ensures that nobody else, even if they intercept the message, can read it or make any sense out of it.

So, Burmester's theory is like a secret handshake that helps two computers communicate with each other securely, without anyone else knowing what they're talking about.