SYMMETRIC AND ASYMMETRIC

Symmetric Key Encryption Asymmetric Key Encryption

It requires two keys, a public key and a

It only requires a single key for both encryption and private key, one to encrypt and the other
decryption. one to decrypt.

The size of cipher text is the same or smaller than the The size of cipher text is the same or
original plain text. larger than the original plain text.

The encryption process is very fast. The encryption process is slow.

It is used when a large amount of data is required to It is used to transfer small amounts of
transfer. data.

It provides confidentiality, authenticity, and

It only provides confidentiality. non-repudiation.

The length of key used is 128 or 256 bits The length of key used is 2048 or higher

In symmetric key encryption, resource utilization is low In asymmetric key encryption, resource
as compared to asymmetric key encryption. utilization is high.

It is efficient as it is used for handling large amount of It is comparatively less efficient as it can
data. handle a small amount of data.

It is more secure as two keys are used

Security is less as only one key is used for both here- one for encryption and the other for
encryption and decryption purpose. decryption.

Examples: Diffie-Hellman, ECC, El Gamal,

Examples: 3DES, AES, DES and RC4 DSA and RSA
 Symmetric encryption, also known as secret key encryption, uses the same key for
both encryption and decryption of the message. The sender and the receiver must
both have the same key and keep it secret for the encryption to be secure. An
example of symmetric encryption algorithm is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).

For example, Let's say Alice wants to send a message to Bob, She will use the key to
encrypt the message, and Bob will use the same key to decrypt the message.

The steps followed in encryption and decryption using symmetric encryption:

1. Alice generates a secret key and shares it with Bob.

2. Alice uses the secret key to encrypt the message.
3. The encrypted message is sent to Bob.
4. Bob uses the same secret key to decrypt the message.
5. The decrypted message is received by Bob.

On the other hand, Asymmetric encryption, also known as public key encryption,
uses two different keys for encryption and decryption of the message. One key,
known as the public key, is used for encryption and is shared with everyone. The
other key, known as the private key, is used for decryption and is kept secret by the
owner. An example of asymmetric encryption algorithm is RSA (Rivest-Shamir-
Adleman).

For example, Let's say Alice wants to send a message to Bob, She will use Bob's
public key to encrypt the message, and Bob will use his private key to decrypt the
message.

The steps followed in encryption and decryption using asymmetric encryption:

1. Bob generates a public key and a private key.

2. Bob shares his public key with Alice.
3. Alice uses Bob's public key to encrypt the message.
4. The encrypted message is sent to Bob.
5. Bob uses his private key to decrypt the message.
6. The decrypted message is received by Bob.

In Summary, Symmetric encryption uses the same key for encryption and decryption
while Asymmetric encryption uses different key for encryption and decryption, one is
public and other is private.
 Disadvantage of symmetric key algorithm with example

Symmetric key algorithms have several disadvantages, including:

1. Key distribution: In order for two parties to communicate securely using a symmetric
key algorithm, they must first securely exchange the key. This can be difficult to do in
practice. For example, if Alice and Bob want to communicate securely using a
symmetric key algorithm, they must first find a secure way to exchange the key. This
may involve meeting in person, using a secure courier, or using a secure key
exchange algorithm.
2. Key management: Symmetric key algorithms require that both parties have a copy of
the key, which means that the key must be stored and protected securely. If a key is
lost or compromised, all previous communications using that key are also
compromised. For example, if Alice and Bob are using a symmetric key algorithm to
communicate and the key is stolen or lost, all of their previous communications will
be compromised.
3. Scaling: As the number of parties increases, the number of keys required also
increases. This can lead to key management issues and can make it difficult to
securely distribute keys to all parties. For example, if Alice, Bob, and Carol want to
communicate securely using a symmetric key algorithm, they will need one key for
each pair of parties. This means that Alice will need a key for each of Bob and Carol,
Bob will need a key for each of Alice and Carol, and Carol will need a key for each of
Alice and Bob.
4. Limited use: Symmetric key algorithms are typically only suitable for encrypting data,
and cannot be used for other purposes such as digital signing or authentication. For
example, if Alice wants to send Bob a signed document, she cannot use a symmetric
key algorithm because it cannot be used for digital signing.
5. Security: symmetric key algorithm are less secure than asymmetric key algorithm
because if the key is cracked, all the data encrypted with that key can be decrypted.
For example, if an attacker manages to crack the key being used by Alice and Bob to
communicate, they will be able to decrypt all the previous communications between
them.