how does public key cryptography work?
Public key cryptography (also known as "asymmetric" cryptography) is a way of sending secure messages between two people. It's like a secret code between two people.
To understand it, think of two people as a locksmith and a customer. The locksmith can make any kind of key – for a door, for a safe, for anything. The customer has a lock, but no key.
In public key cryptography, the locksmith sends the customer two keys. One key is called the public key - this is the key anyone can use. It's like a key everyone has access to, but it only works on one particular lock. The other key is called the private key - this is the key only the customer has. It's like the secret key the customer needs to unlock the door.
Once the customer has both keys, they can use them to send secure messages. To do this, they use the public key to code their message. This scrambles the message, so that no one else can understand it. Then they use the private key to decode the message. This only works if the customer has both the public and private keys, so that's why it's so secure.
Public key cryptography is used all over the internet to ensure secure communications. It's like the locksmith and customer cleverly deciding between them the lock and keys they will use to protect each other's messages.
To understand it, think of two people as a locksmith and a customer. The locksmith can make any kind of key – for a door, for a safe, for anything. The customer has a lock, but no key.
In public key cryptography, the locksmith sends the customer two keys. One key is called the public key - this is the key anyone can use. It's like a key everyone has access to, but it only works on one particular lock. The other key is called the private key - this is the key only the customer has. It's like the secret key the customer needs to unlock the door.
Once the customer has both keys, they can use them to send secure messages. To do this, they use the public key to code their message. This scrambles the message, so that no one else can understand it. Then they use the private key to decode the message. This only works if the customer has both the public and private keys, so that's why it's so secure.
Public key cryptography is used all over the internet to ensure secure communications. It's like the locksmith and customer cleverly deciding between them the lock and keys they will use to protect each other's messages.