INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION
2. OBJECTIVE
3. THEORY
4. APPLICATIONS
5. ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
6. CONCLUSION
7. REFERENCES
 1. INTRODUCTION
What is an Asymmetric Encryption?
In asymmetric encryption, the sender uses the recipient’s public key to encrypt the
data. The recipient then uses their private key to decrypt the data. This approach
allows for secure communication between two parties without the need for both
parties to have the same secret key. Asymmetric encryption has several
advantages over symmetric encryption, which uses the same key for both
encryption and decryption. One of the main advantages is that it eliminates the
need to exchange secret keys, which can be a challenging process, especially when
communicating with multiple parties.
Additionally, asymmetric encryption allows for the creation of digital signatures,
which can be used to verify the authenticity of data. Asymmetric encryption is
commonly used in various applications, including secure online communication,
digital signatures, and secure data transfer. Examples of asymmetric encryption
algorithms include RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC).
Asymmetric encryption, commonly known as public-key cryptography, employs
two distinct keys for encryption and decoding. The private key is a separate key
from the public key that is kept private by the owner of the public key while the
public key is made available to everyone. Anyone can encrypt a message using the
public key, but only the holder of the private key can unlock it. With no chance of
the communication being intercepted and read by a third party, anyone can send a
secure message to the public key’s owner.
Asymmetric encryption is frequently used for secure Internet communication,
including email encryption, e-commerce, and online banking. Digital signatures,
which are used to confirm the legitimacy of digital documents and messages, are
another application for it.
How Does a Cryptographic Key Work?
As we all know that cryptography technique is use to convert plain text into cipher
text. This technique is done by cryptographic key. Basically cryptographic key is a
string of characters which is used to encrypts the data and decrypt the data.
“Geeks for Geeks” + ⚿ = “HYMeAS90#”
For example- “Geeks for Geeks” is a plaintext and convert into cipher text
“HYMeAS90#” with the help of cryptographic key.

Advantages of Asymmetric Encryption

Asymmetric encryption also known as public key cryptography is a method of
cryptography that uses two different keys to encrypt and decrypt data, here are
some advantages of asymmetric encryption: –
 Enhanced Security: Asymmetric encryption provides a higher level of security
compared to symmetric encryption where only one key is used for both
encryption and decryption with asymmetric encryption a different key is
used for each process and the private key used for decryption is kept secret
by the receiver making, it harder for an attacker to intercept and decrypt the
data.
 Authentication: Asymmetric encryption can be used for authentication
purposes which means that the receiver can verify the sender s identity. This
is achieved by the sender encrypting a message with their private key which
can only be decrypted with their public key if the receiver can successfully
decrypt the message, it proves that it was sent by the sender who has the
corresponding private key.
 Non-repudiation: Asymmetric encryption also provides non-repudiation
which means that the sender cannot deny sending a message or altering its
contents this is because the message is encrypted with the sender s private
key and only their public key can decrypt it . Therefore, the receiver can be
sure that the message was sent by the sender and has not been tampered
with.
  Key distribution: Asymmetric encryption eliminates the need for a secure key
distribution system that is required in symmetric encryption with symmetric
encryption, the same key is used for both encryption and decryption and the
key needs to be securely shared between the sender and the receiver
asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, allows the public key to be shared
openly and the private key is kept secret by the receiver.
 Versatility: Asymmetric encryption can be used for a wide range of
applications including secure email communication online banking
transactions and e-commerce it is also used to secure SSL/TSL connections
which are commonly used to secure internet traffic.
Overall, the use of asymmetric encryption offers enhanced security authentication
non-repudiation key distribution, and versatility these advantages make it a widely
used and effective method for protecting sensitive data in various applications.
Example of Asymmetric Encryption
Email communication is one way to show asymmetric encryption in action. Let’s
say Alice and Bob have a public-private key pair and Alice wishes to send Bob an
encrypted message. Using Bob’s public key, Alice encrypts her message before
sending it to him. Bob uses his private key to decrypt the message after receiving it
encrypted.
For instance, Alice composes and encrypts an email for Bob using Bob’s public key.
She follows up by sending Bob the encrypted email. After receiving the email, Bob
uses his private key to decrypt it so that it may be read. As a result, Alice can
communicate Bob securely without being concerned that the message’s content
will be viewed by someone else.
With the use of the matching private key, only the intended recipient may decode
and read the email, guaranteeing the confidentiality of its contents. To provide
secure and private communication over the internet, asymmetric encryption is
commonly employed in a variety of communication methods, including messaging
apps, digital signatures, and file encryption.
Features of Asymmetric Encryption
The Main Features of Asymmetric Encryption (also known as public-key
cryptography) are:
 Dual keys: Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys, including a public key
and a private key. The public key can be freely shared with anyone, while the
private key is kept secret and known only to the key owner.
 Encryption and decryption: Asymmetric encryption uses the public key to
encrypt data and the private key to decrypt data. This allows secure
communication between two parties without the need to exchange secret
keys.
 Digital signatures: Asymmetric encryption enables the creation of digital
signatures, which can be used to verify the authenticity of data. A digital
signature is created by encrypting a hash of the data with the sender’s
private key.
  Secure key exchange: Asymmetric encryption allows for secure key exchange,
which is a critical feature in secure communication. For example, the Diffie-
Hellman key exchange algorithm uses asymmetric encryption to establish a
shared secret key between two parties without exchanging the key itself.
 Security: Asymmetric encryption is considered more secure than symmetric
encryption because it eliminates the need to exchange secret keys, which can
be a security risk. Additionally, the private key is kept secret, which makes it
harder for attackers to intercept or tamper with the data.
 Slow processing: Asymmetric encryption is slower than symmetric encryption
because it involves more complex mathematical operations. This can make it
less suitable for applications that require fast data processing.
Overall, asymmetric encryption offers several unique features that make it an
essential tool for secure communication and data exchange. However, it also has
some limitations, such as slower processing speed, which should be considered
when choosing an encryption method for a particular application.
How are Asymmetric Encryption and Symmetric Encryption Used for TLS/SSL?
Transport Layer Securities (TLS) is use to secure the communication between two
communication computer applications. In other words, TLS protocol provide an
additional layer of security on top of the TCP/IP transport protocols. In TLS,
used cryptography technology. As we all know about Asymmetric encryption and
Symmetric encryption. Some places use Asymmetric encryption and other places
use Symmetric encryption. But in Transport Layer Securities (TLS) use both
encryption –
 Asymmetric encryption: It is used to establish a secure session or connection
between sender and receiver.
 Symmetric encryption: It is used to exchange the data with in secure session
or connection.
That’s why in TLS/SSL uses both asymmetric and symmetric encryption to secure
the user confidential data and integrity. In TLS handshake, generate keys for
symmetric encryption called “session keys” because it is uses by the sender and
receiver for sending the data with in session. On the other hand, they also uses
asymmetric cryptography for security while generate the session keys.
Conclusion
TLS/SSL uses both asymmetric and symmetric encryption. A website must have an
SSL certificate if website’s owner wants trust of people. Asymmetric encryption is
more secure as compare to symmetric encryption. It uses two keys for that
impossible to track or break the security. Asymmetric is use in Email Signing SSL
certificate and also used for RSA, Elliptic curve etc.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/transforming-a-plain-text-message-to-
cipher-text

2. Chatgpt

3. Bruce Schneier, "Applied Cryptography," Wiley Publications.