Encryption

Encryption is the ciphering of data by apllying an algorithm to plain text. There are two types of encryption. Symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption.

In symmetric encryption the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the message. This key is shared between the sender and the receiver of the message. The key must be kept secret. The weak point with a symetric encryption is the transfer of the key between the two parties involved.

Asymmetric encryption, also known as public key encryption, is a method whereby two keys are used. A public key to encrypt messages and a secret private key to decrypt messages. So, anybody can send encrypted messages but only one person can decrypt the messages. The public and the private key are provided by a trusted third party (TTP).