What is an Encryption Key and How Does It Work (2024)

Encryption keys keep digital data secure and safe especially if leaked to cybercriminals or anyone not intended to see it. Messaging applications like WhatsApp use encryption to ensure that only the sender and the recipient can read the message. If someone were to intercept the message during transfer between devices, all they would find is a string of incoherent bits because they would not have the encryption keys to decode the message.

What is an encryption key?

Encryption keys are strings of information (bits) that are used by cryptographic algorithms to encode (encrypt) and decode (decrypt) data. Encrypted data is unreadable without proper decoding, thus making it highly secure and difficult for hackers to compromise.

Encryption keys come in varying lengths. The longer the encryption key is, the stronger it is. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a type of encryption used by the US government and other large organizations that uses keys of varying lengths, including 128, 192, and 256 bits. While 256-bit keys are stronger, they require a large amount of processing power to encrypt data. 128-bit and 192-bit keys are less secure but more efficient to process.

How do encryption keys work?

There are two types of encryption key - symmetrical and asymmetrical. Both do the same thing but in different ways. Each is used for specific use cases.

• Symmetrical keys, also known as secret key encryption, is where only a single key is used for both encryption and decryption. This kind of encryption system is perfect for encrypting huge amounts of data efficiently or in payment applications. One example of a symmetrical encryption key being used is AES.
• On the other hand, asymmetric encryption uses two keys, one for encryption and one for decryption. This is also known as public/private encryption because of this. In this case, a public key known to senders of data is used to encrypt, and a separate private key known only to the recipient is used to decrypt. Asymmetric encryption is used in applications such as email security, web security, and many digital communications channels that take place over a public network.

Learn about encryption keys with Sangfor

If you want to learn more about encryption and how encryption keys work, do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team. Sangfor also has a wide range of cyber security solutions to help you and your business stay safe in the digital world. Learn more about them today.