This document provides facts related to Symmetric Algorithm for usage in the written part of my diploma thesis.
| Article found | Fact |
|---|---|
| XML security : Implement security layers, Part 1 - Basic plumbing technologies [Ve03a] | Symmetric algorithms are used to generate single keys, also called shared secret keys. The same key is used for both encryption and decryption. The initiating party uses the shared secret to encrypt or digitally sign the payload; the receiving party, in turn, also uses the same shared secret to decrypt or verify the digital signature. Passing the shared secret around can become a potential liability: The shared secret can be exchanged out of band, or the shared secret itself may be encrypted using another key. Both of these shared secret exchange mechanisms are unwieldy. Asymmetric keys solve this problem. Though symmetric keys have their disadvantages (primary among them being how to pass them among the trusted parties), the major advantage they offer is speed of encryption and decryption. Encrypting messages using a shared secret is much faster than with asymmetric keys. |
