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Question

Difficulty: EasyInformation Technology and Cybersecurity

In public-key cryptography (asymmetric encryption), when a sender wants to transmit a confidential message securely to a specific recipient, which of the following keys must be used by the sender to encrypt the message?

  1. Recipient's public keyAnswer
  2. B
    Sender's private key
  3. C
    Recipient's private key
  4. D
    Sender's public key

Answer

The recipient's public key must be used by the sender to encrypt the message for confidentiality.
In asymmetric cryptography, each participant has a public key and a private key. To send a confidential message, the sender encrypts the plaintext using the recipient's public key. Because the recipient is the sole possessor of the corresponding private key, only they can decrypt and read the original message.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key structure of asymmetric cryptography.
Asymmetric cryptography utilizes a mathematically linked pair of keys for every user: a public key (shared openly) and a private key (kept secret).
Understanding the distinction between public and private keys is fundamental to asymmetric systems.
2
Determine which key achieves confidentiality for a specific recipient.
Encrypting data with a user's public key ensures that the data can only be decrypted by the matching private key owned uniquely by that recipient.
This mathematical pairing enables secure key distribution and message secrecy across untrusted networks.

Key Concept

Public Key Cryptography (Asymmetric Encryption)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Information Technology and Cybersecurity

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