Which statement about asymmetric encryption is true?

Which statement about asymmetric encryption is true?

• A. It uses a pair of keys, one public for encryption and one private for decryption
• B. It uses a shared secret for both encryption and decryption
• C. It does not use keys
• D. It is always faster than symmetric encryption

Answer: (A)

Asymmetric encryption relies on a pair of keys: a public key that can be shared openly for encryption, and a private key that is kept secret for decryption. This arrangement lets anyone encrypt a message for the recipient using their public key, while only the recipient can read it with their private key. That separation is what enables secure key exchange and digital signatures. The idea of a shared secret for both encryption and decryption describes symmetric encryption, which uses the same key on both ends. It does use keys, so saying it does not use keys is incorrect. And it’s not always faster than symmetric encryption; in fact, asymmetric methods are typically slower and are often used to securely exchange a symmetric session key rather than to encrypt large amounts of data directly.

Asymmetric encryption relies on a pair of keys: a public key that can be shared openly for encryption, and a private key that is kept secret for decryption. This arrangement lets anyone encrypt a message for the recipient using their public key, while only the recipient can read it with their private key. That separation is what enables secure key exchange and digital signatures. The idea of a shared secret for both encryption and decryption describes symmetric encryption, which uses the same key on both ends. It does use keys, so saying it does not use keys is incorrect. And it’s not always faster than symmetric encryption; in fact, asymmetric methods are typically slower and are often used to securely exchange a symmetric session key rather than to encrypt large amounts of data directly.