Discover the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption

Data encryption is the process of transferring data from one form to another or into a code format that only the person with access to the decryption key or password can read it. There are two commonly implemented types of encryption: symmetric and asymmetric. The fundamental difference between the two types of encryption is that symmetric encryption uses a unique key for both encryption and decryption, while asymmetric encryption uses a public key to encrypt and private key to decode.

To get a better understanding of these two forms of coding as well as point out the basic differences between them, let's take a look at a few factors below.

Symmetric encryption

This is arguably the simplest and most commonly used coding technique, with some outstanding features such as:

• Because the symmetric encryption algorithm is less complicated and can execute faster, this is a technique that is particularly popular in mass data transfer operations.
• The original text is encrypted with a key before sending, and the same key will also be used by the recipient to decode the data.
• Some of the most commonly used symmetric encryption algorithms include AES-128, AES-192 and AES-256.

Asymmetric encryption

This type of encryption comes after symmetric encryption and is also known as public-key encryption:

• Asymmetric encryption is said to be safer than symmetric encryption because it uses two separate keys for both encryption and decryption processes.
• The public key used for encryption will be public, but the private key for decryption is completely confidential.
• This encryption method is used in everyday communication over the internet.
• When a message is encrypted with the public key, it can only be decrypted with the private key. However, when a message is encrypted with the private key, it can be decoded with the public key.
• The digital certificate in the client-server model can be used to find public keys.
• The drawback of asymmetric encryption is that it takes longer to perform than symmetric encryption.
• Common asymmetric coding techniques include RSA, DSA and PKCS.

The main difference between symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption

• Asymmetric encryption is a technique that has been introduced a long time ago, while asymmetric encryption is a newer technique.
• Asymmetric encryption takes longer to execute due to the complex logic involved. For this reason, symmetric encryption is still preferred for mass data transmission.
• Asymmetric encryption is more secure because it uses different keys for encryption and decryption.

Both encryption methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. However from a security perspective, asymmetric encryption is definitely the more optimal option.