Chapter 5: Dissecting Asymmetric Encryption

Symmetric algorithms offer fast, efficient encryption while ensuring data confidentiality. However, both parties must share the same secret key. In this chapter, we'll discuss the other main form of encryption: asymmetric (or public-key) encryption. We'll learn how asymmetric encryption was developed to solve the problem of securely exchanging the shared secret key, but then evolved to provide other benefits. You'll understand the two ways to obtain a shared secret key, by using encryption or using a key agreement protocol, such as Diffie-Hellman. We'll also outline how using Diffie-Hellman helps provide perfect forward secrecy.

We'll then cover other uses for public-key encryption, such as securing email and creating a digital signature. We'll discover how using standards, such as the Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS), helps provide interoperability among vendors. To understand what is necessary...