What is Asymmetric Encryption?

What is Asymmetric Encryption? | IBM

By Annie Badman, Matthew Kosinski

Authors

Asymmetric encryption is an encryption method that uses two different keys—a public key and a private key—to encrypt and decrypt data. It’s generally regarded as more secure, though less efficient, than symmetric encryption. Almost everything people do on their computers, phones and, increasingly, IoT devices relies on encryption to protect data and ensure secure communications.

Encryption is the process of transforming readable plaintext into unreadable ciphertext to mask sensitive information from unauthorized users. According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach report, organizations that use…