{"id":3517,"date":"2024-10-29T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=3517"},"modified":"2024-10-22T17:51:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T17:51:51","slug":"what-is-symmetric-encryption-and-how-does-it-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-symmetric-encryption-and-how-does-it-work\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Symmetric Encryption and How Does It Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Everyone loves to talk about the role of asymmetric encryption in online security. Today, we\u2019re here to explore symmetric encryption and its role in keeping data secure online.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever wondered what steps websites and online platforms take to protect your confidential information from cybercriminals? Or what prevents someone from stealing your data while it\u2019s stored on a server or traveling from one point to another? Symmetric encryption is part of the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll discuss what symmetric encryption is, how it works and is used, and how it differs from its newer relative asymmetric encryption<\/a> (i.e., public key cryptography).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Understand Symmetric Encryption, You First Have to Understand Encryption\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive headlong into the topic of symmetric encryption, let\u2019s quickly brush up on some basic concepts like encryption<\/strong><\/a> and cryptographic keys<\/a><\/strong> (more specifically, the private keys<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encryption is the process of converting readable data (the plaintext<\/strong>) into an incomprehensible format so that only the person who has the key can access or read it. Without the key, the encrypted information, called ciphertext<\/strong>, looks like gibberish. Without the key, it\u2019s impossible to work out the original data from the ciphertext.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encryption is like locking a valuable item inside a lockbox. If someone has the lockbox but not the key, they can\u2019t access the concealed item inside. In the same way, to lock (encrypt) the data, you need a key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When most people think of encryption on the internet, they think of SSL\/TLS encryption. This uses a combination of asymmetric and symmetric encryption. Asymmetric encryption uses two cryptographic keys to encrypt (public key) and decrypt (private key) data. But how does this differ from symmetric encryption? That\u2019s what you\u2019re about to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Symmetric Encryption?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike its asymmetric counterpart, symmetric encryption uses a single cryptographic key to encrypt and decrypt data. This is why it\u2019s also known as private key encryption<\/strong>, private key cryptography<\/strong>, shared secret encryption<\/strong>, or shared secret cryptography<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In symmetric encryption, the sender and recipient must keep this key secret to protect the data. This is why other names for the symmetric key are the private key<\/strong>, shared secret,<\/strong> or secret key<\/strong>. The key itself is a long string of random and unpredictable alphanumeric characters. If it is lost, leaked, or stolen, then the key\u2019s privacy is compromised and should no longer be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, the process of symmetric encryption goes like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The sender applies the symmetric key to the plaintext data to encrypt it, producing the ciphertext.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The sender sends the ciphertext to the recipient.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The recipient applies the same shared key to the ciphertext to decrypt it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"A
    Image caption: A basic overview of how symmetric encryption and decryption work using a single private key that both the sender and recipient know.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Is symmetric encryption something new? Absolutely not. Symmetric encryption has been around for a long time \u2014 one example, called the Caesar Cipher<\/a>, has been around since the days of the Roman Empire! (We\u2019ll explore that more in depth a little later.) And it\u2019s thought that symmetric encryption existed well before that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Compare this to asymmetric encryption, which has only been around since the 1970s or so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Examples of Symmetric Algorithms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    So, what are some common symmetric ciphers you\u2019ll find in use today? Some popular symmetric key algorithms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n