The use of encryption helps prevent hackers from intercepting and stealing sensitive information transmitted over the Internet. If a person is not tech-savvy and doesn’t know about cryptography,
picking an encryption program can be confusing, especially if you don’t understand how symmetric versus asymmetric encryption works.
Cyber thieves and scammers today are sophisticated, inflicting harm on an increasing number of users across the globe. It is imperative that you encrypt everything in your sensitive accounts to protect them from being accessed by attackers.
Trustifi, the
email security company, utilizes both symmetrical and asymmetric encryption. Their cryptography experts know the advantages and disadvantages of both methods and when to use one versus the other.
Both methods require keys to decrypt and encrypt data. With symmetric encryption, the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data, making it easy to deploy. Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, relies on a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.
This article discusses the pros and cons of both systems and the circumstances under which one may be better than the other.
Symmetric Encryption
Data is encrypted and decrypted with a single key in symmetric encryption. It is only possible to decrypt the information if the recipient has this key. For example, you compose an email that reads, “I love you, Mom.” You then encrypt it with a secret key and send the message to your mother. Your mom receives the message, but she needs to know the secret key in order to decrypt it. Unless you give her the key, she cannot read your loving message.
How Symmetric Encryption Works in Trustifi?
The Trustifi platform features PEM (password-encrypted messages), which uses symmetric encryption. The email solution service allows users to create a password hint that they can share with a recipient for decrypting the message.
A password can be shared over the phone, via an SMS text message, or in person. In addition, Trustifi’s password-encrypted messages can be set to expire after a certain time. The email can no longer be decrypted by any means after it reaches the expiration date. Further, the emails are encrypted with a password created by the sender. The password must be used each time the message is opened. Only the sender and anyone to whom he/she reveals the password can access the email contents.
For example, you might use your mother’s maiden name as the password for your message to her. Very few people know your mother’s maiden name other than your mother and people in her family. When you send her the email, you also send her a text that says, “Use your maiden name to unlock my email message.” You do not have to reveal the actual password because you and she both know what it is based on the hint you gave her.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Symmetric Key Encryption
The benefit of symmetric key encryption is that it is fast and convenient to set up. Plus, this method is simple and easy to understand, so everyone can easily master it. The single disadvantage: the receiver must get the secret key from the sender.
Asymmetric Encryption
With asymmetric encryption, the public key is used to encrypt the information, and the private key is used to decrypt it. Public keys and private keys are two separate things, but they go hand-in-hand. For instance, you can compose a message and encrypt it with the recipient’s public key. The recipient’s system will then decrypt that message using their private key when they receive the email.
To ensure email security, Trustifi uses the recipient’s private key and public key to find out if the two match. If yes, then the user will need to enter a password to decrypt the message. Your public key encryption must be strong, meaning very difficult to guess. A sequence of random letters, numbers and special characters is the strongest key but difficult to remember. A key that is strong but easier to remember is a phrase, such as two or three nonsense words strung together, interspersed with numbers and special characters. A strong key is necessary to ensure the security of asymmetric encryption.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Asymmetric Key Encryption
The benefit of using asymmetric key encryption is that it doesn’t require the sender to share the keys or passwords. Therefore, it eliminates the need for key distribution. Further, with asymmetric key encryption, the recipient’s identity is authenticated via digital signing, ensuring that the message has not been tampered with during transmission. Learn more about digital signatures at the end of this article.
The disadvantage of this type of encryption is that it requires work and time to set up. The recipient must first create a pair of keys in order to receive encrypted messages. The major drawback is that if the recipient loses the private key, it cannot be retrieved, and the recipient will not be able to
open the encrypted messages. A lost private key obviously presents a significant problem for the recipient.
For asymmetric encryption, Trustifi utilizes the RSA algorithm to generate OpenPGP keys. The RSA algorithm creates public/private key pairs that are mathematically linked to ensure maximum security.
In certain situations, Trustifi’s system also generates key pairs based on the ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) algorithm. The advantage of the ECC algorithm over the RSA algorithm is that the ECC keys are shorter while still being just as strong. For this reason, ECC has been gaining in popularity over RSA in recent years.
Bottom Line
So, which one is better? Symmetric or asymmetric? When you need to send a short encrypted message as quickly as possible, symmetric methods are a good choice. When you know the other person’s verified public key, use the asymmetric method for stronger encryption and greater security.
For an added measure of security, you can add a digital signature encryption layer. A digital signature is a hash value calculated based on the contents of the message and attached to the message. When the recipient’s system receives the message, it compares the hash value to the message contents to ensure that the contents have not been altered in transit.
If all this encryption technology makes your head spin, don’t despair. Depend on Trustifi’s secure email system to apply the right security technology for the right circumstances to keep your emails safe and secure. Contact a Trustifi representative today to learn how simple, convenient, and affordable Trustifi’s email security solution can be to protect your business.
