Encryption is an algorithmic operation that randomizes data so that it is not accessible to anyone unless they have the key to convert it into a legible form. The two types of encryption are symmetric and asymmetric encryptions. Symmetric encryption uses one key for encrypting and decrypting information, while asymmetric encryption uses two keys, one for encryption and another for decryption. The two encryptions are different in several ways, with each difference giving them an advantage over the other.
As mentioned earlier, symmetric encryption only requires one key for both encryption and decryption. This is a simple technique that enables the encryption process to be carried out quickly (Al-Shabi, 2019). On the other hand, asymmetric encryption requires a pair of public and private keys. The public key encrypts a message and is accessible to everyone. To decrypt the message, one requires a private key that is only accessible to the recipient (Al-Shabi, 2019). This is a more complicated process that slows down the encryption process.
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Symmetric key algorithms are divided into block and stream ciphers. Under block ciphers, one bit of information is encrypted as a single unit. Under stream ciphers, information is encrypted in bits. Based on the security requirements, the length of symmetrical keys is ordinarily 128 or 256 bits (Henriques & Vernekar, 2017). In asymmetric encryption, the length of the keys is much larger. For instance, the suggested RSA key size is 2048 bits and more (Henriques & Vernekar, 2017). As such, asymmetric encryption is not categorized as either block or stream. However, the concept of blocks is applied where one needs to encrypt more data than is required, such that they will divide the data into blocks.
The complexity of asymmetric encryption makes it more secure compared to symmetric encryption. The shared secret key in symmetric encryption makes it more prone to compromise. Given that the private key under asymmetric encryption is not shared, the probability of compromise is less (Maqsood et al., 2017). Additionally, symmetric encryption is mainly used for the transfer of large chunks of information (Maqsood et al., 2017). This is due to its speedy characteristic. On the other hand, asymmetric encryption is used for smaller transactions that do not require urgent decryption.
Therefore, both encryptions are reliable, depending on the amount of data that needs encryption, the sensitivity of the data, and the resources available. In some circumstances, both encryptions are used simultaneously. Noting the upsurge of cyberattacks, organizations and individuals need to consider encrypting their data for security purposes.
References
Al-Shabi, M. (2019). A survey on symmetric and asymmetric cryptography algorithms in information security. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP) , 9 (3), p8779. https://doi.org/10.29322/ijsrp.9.03.2019.p8779
Henriques, M. S., & Vernekar, N. K. (2017). Using symmetric and asymmetric cryptography to secure communication between devices in IoT. 2017 International Conference on IoT and Application (ICIOT) , 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1109/iciota.2017.8073643
Maqsood, F., Ahmed, M., Mumtaz, M., & Ali, M. (2017). Cryptography: A comparative analysis for modern techniques. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications , 8 (6). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2017.080659
