What type of encryption uses a different key to encrypt the message than it uses to decrypt the message?

What type of encryption uses a different key to encrypt the message than it uses to decrypt the message?

• A. Symmetric
• B. Asymmetric
• C. Hashing
• D. Public-key cryptography

Answer: (B)

Asymmetric encryption is defined by using two different keys for the process: one key encrypts the data and a separate key decrypts it. This stands in contrast to symmetric encryption, where the same key is used to both lock and unlock the message. Hashing is a distinct concept entirely—it's a one-way function that produces a fixed digest and isn’t used to recover the original message. Public-key cryptography is the practical way to implement asymmetric encryption, typically involving a publicly shared key for encryption and a private key for decryption. The essential idea here is that different keys are used for encryption and decryption, which is what asymmetric encryption describes.

Asymmetric encryption is defined by using two different keys for the process: one key encrypts the data and a separate key decrypts it. This stands in contrast to symmetric encryption, where the same key is used to both lock and unlock the message. Hashing is a distinct concept entirely—it's a one-way function that produces a fixed digest and isn’t used to recover the original message. Public-key cryptography is the practical way to implement asymmetric encryption, typically involving a publicly shared key for encryption and a private key for decryption. The essential idea here is that different keys are used for encryption and decryption, which is what asymmetric encryption describes.