Asymmetric Encryption

Asymmetric encryption - An algorithm that uses one key to encrypt information but requires a different (related) key to decrypt that information. This is also referred to as public key cryptography.   Because the key used to encrypt information cannot decrypt it, something very useful can be done.   You can make one of the two keys available to anyone - the public key.   The other key you must keep to yourself.   Provided people know your public key, anyone receiving information that decrypts with your public key knows that the information must have come from you.   More than that, if you encrypt something with someone else's public key you can be certain that only they can access is, regardless of who else sees the encrypted information.   These features have created the concepts of PKI and non-repudiation.

[Category=Data Security ]

Source: Arctic Soft, 05 August 2011 09:35:09, http://www.articsoft.com/it_security.htm