private-key cryptography

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private-key cryptography



As opposed to public-key cryptography, a cryptographic method in which the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the message. Private-key algorithms include the obsolescent Data Encryption Standard (DES), triple-DES (3DES), the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), also known as Rijndael, Blowfish, Twofish RC2, RC4, RC5 and RC6.

A problem with private-key cryptography is that the emitter and the recipient of the message must agree secretly on a common key beforehands; but how can they do so?

Public-key cryptography gives an answer to this problem.

(2003-04-12)