[Jessica Jagerson]

Explain the specific differences between symmetric cryptography (chapter 7) and asymmetric cryptography.  Use terms from both chapters.  Be sure to compare the pros and cons of each.

[Kelly Crooks]

One of the differences between symmetric cryptography uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. Asymmetric cryptography uses a pair of keys, one public and one private to decrypt the data
Another difference is that symmetric cryptography uses complex and faster algorithms than asymmetric. Asymmetric cryptography uses a more complex and much slower algorithm. As the number of users grows with symmetric cryptography so does the number of keys. Asymmetric does not grow uncontrollably and has one pair of keys per user. Symmetric cryptography key exchange is out-of-bound and possibly insecure. Asymmetric cryptography key exchange is a public key that is safely distributed widely.

Symmetric Cryptography pros:
Fast and convenient to use
the method is easy and simple to understand

Symmetric Cryptography cons:
The receiver must get the secret key from the sender

Asymmetric Cryptography pros:
Easily Scaled
Only one pair of keys for each user
Does not require out-of-band delivery of key
Provides added functionality for commercial use
Authentication
Access control
Confidentiality
Integrity
Non-repudiation

Asymmetric Cryptography cons:
Slower than Symmetric by up to 1000 times
Requires validation of key pair ownership
Exposure, destruction, or loss of private keys destroys the integrity of the system

[Marcena Davis]

Hi Kelly! You have provided a great comparison between symmetric and asymmetric cryptography. It’s interesting to know how symmetric cryptography uses the same key for encryption and decryption while asymmetric cryptography uses a pair of keys – one public and one private. Your points about the pros and cons of each type are also informative.

One example to consider for symmetric cryptography is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) used by many companies to secure their data. As for asymmetric cryptography, a popular example is the RSA algorithm which is widely used in secure communication protocols like SSL/TLS.
I completely agree with you that the validation of key pair ownership in asymmetric cryptography can be time-consuming and exposure, destruction, or loss of private keys can compromise the integrity of the system. For symmetric cryptography, key exchange is often a challenge as it has to be done out-of-band and can potentially be insecure.

[Kevin Mehok]

Hey Kelly,

Great job. You listed clear examples of both Symmetric Cryptography and Asymmetric cryptography. The irony is key, lol, yes, the ‘key’ for encryption. To me, the lock calling for the pair in asymmetric cryptography which regulates, if you will, private and public.

Thanks for your post.

God Bless,

Kevin

[Marcena Davis]

Symmetric cryptography, also known as secret key cryptography, uses the same key for both encryption and decryption of data. This means that the sender and receiver must both have access to the same secret key. The advantage of symmetric cryptography is that it is fast and efficient, making it ideal for encrypting large amounts of data. However, the major disadvantage of symmetric cryptography is that if the key is compromised, all data encrypted with that key is also compromised.

Asymmetric cryptography, also known as public key cryptography, uses two keys – a public key and a private key – for encryption and decryption. The public key is distributed to anyone who needs to send encrypted messages, while the private key is kept secret by the owner. The advantage of asymmetric cryptography is that it is more secure than symmetric cryptography, as the private key remains secret. However, asymmetric cryptography is slower and less efficient than symmetric cryptography.

Overall, symmetric cryptography is faster and more efficient, but less secure than asymmetric cryptography. Asymmetric cryptography is more secure, but slower and less efficient. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of the user and the information being encrypted.

[Kelly Crooks]

Marcena, I enjoyed reading your explanation of both symmetric and asymmetric cryptography. I found the whole cryptography subject pretty interesting. I did have to read more information on my own because it was interesting to me. I also took your advice and looked more into both the AES system and the RSA algorithm, both I found would be very useful. Symmetric and asymmetric both have some good features and like you said it would depend on the needs of the specific user on how to decide which one to choose.

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