public key cryptography

An encryption method that uses a two-part key: one private; the other public. To send an encrypted message to someone, the recipient's public key is used, which can be published anywhere or sent openly via email. When the message arrives, the recipient uses his or her private key, which is always kept secret.

The World of Crypto
Blockchain-based cryptocurrencies are based on this method. Crypto is sent to the public key of the recipients, who use their private keys to "unlock" the transactions. See cryptocurrency.

Not Secret Key
Public key cryptography is not "secret-key cryptography," which uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt. The advantage of public key cryptography is that the public key can be published anywhere and transmitted in the open. The secret key method requires that both sides use the same key, which obviously cannot be freely published. However, public key cryptography is often used to send the secret key to the receiving end and then exchange data via secret keys. See cryptography.

Digital Signatures Start With the Private Key
To create a digital signature that ensures the integrity of a message, document or other file, the signer's private key is used to encrypt the message digest. To verify the signature, the signer's public key is used to decrypt the signature back into the digest and compare it with a newly generated digest.

Cryptocurrency payments are digitally signed by senders using their private keys and verified by the receivers using the senders' public keys. See digital signature and cryptocurrency.

Sending a Private Message

The woman computes a digest of the message and signs it with her private key. She then encrypts both message and signature with the man's public key and sends it. The man decrypts message and signature with his private key and then decrypts the signature back into the original digest with the woman's public key. The last step computes a digest from the message body and compares the two digests.

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References in periodicals archive

of Public Key Cryptography - PKC 2012 -15th International Conference on Practice and Theory in Public Key Cryptography,Darmstadt, Germany, pp.

HS-Sign: A security enhanced UOV signature scheme based on hyper-sphere

While it is possible to create similar schemes using symmetric cryptography and traditional public key cryptography, pairing-based approaches require less complicated key management practices.

Report on Pairing-based Cryptography

Wang, "Lattice-based group signature scheme with verifier-local revocation," in Public Key Cryptography: PKC 2014, pp.

An r-hiding revocable group signature scheme: group signatures with the property of hiding the number of revoked users

Encryption systems comprise two general categories: (1) private key cryptography and (2) public key cryptography. There is also biometric verification, which will use an iris scan to cheek a user's eye, like a fingerprint.

Legal aspects of electronic signatures: now that an electronic signature is recognized as a legal signature and firmly rooted in U.S. law, the future looks very promising for its use

Certicom's solutions incorporate its efficient encryption technology and are based on industry standards for information security that utilize public key cryptography. Certicom's products are currently licensed to more than 300 customers including Cisco Systems, Inc., Handspring Inc., Motorola, Inc., Nortel Networks, Openwave Systems, Inc., Palm, Inc., QUALCOMM, Inc., Research In Motion Ltd., Sony International (Europe) GmbH and Verizon Communications Inc.

LUCENT ENHANCES WLAN OFFERING W/ CERTICOM SECURITY COMPONENTS

MultiPrime, a patented technology from Compaq that increases the performance of public key cryptography on both server and client platforms, provides wireless and embedded device manufacturers with breakthrough technology, enabling high-speed performance and enhanced security on small footprint devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and pagers.

SAFENET AND COMPAQ COMPUTER JOIN FORCES TO SECURE WIRELESS TRANSACTIONS

It uses public key cryptography to secure messages from web browsers (clients) to Internet transaction servers (e.g., Amazon.com).

Twenty questions on e-commerce security. (The CPA in industry)

Security features are reported as including an enhanced, on-chip, hardware firewall (providing separation and integrity of data and applications), a 32-bit FameX public key cryptography co- processor, a high-speed triple DES co-processor and a true random number generator.

Europeans team on new smart card technology. (International Report)

Public key cryptography is the use of an algorithm featuring two different but mathematically related keys.

HOT TECHNOLOGY ISSUES in the World of E-COMMERCE

Public key infrastructure is a system that enables organisations to automate the encryption and decryption of electronic documents, using public key cryptography. A typical PKI implementation is comprised of certification authority (CA) and registration authority (RA) servers, directories, applications, and digital certificates, that all run on specific protocols and standards.

The trials of PKI

Connections are securely authenticated with passwords and public key cryptography, the policy database authorizes access to network resources determined by the administrator, and network links are encrypted point-to-point.

Instant deployment

When sending a message over an open network, such as the Internet, public key cryptography can ensure confidentiality of the message.

Digital Signatures: Addressing the Legal Issues