Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Encryption
Cryptography protects data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. The two primary paradigms are symmetric (one shared key) and asymmetric (a public/private key pair).
Key Algorithms
- AES-256: The gold standard for symmetric encryption. Use for encrypting data at rest.
- RSA-2048/4096: Asymmetric algorithm used for key exchange and digital signatures.
- Elliptic Curve (ECDSA/ECDH): Provides equivalent security to RSA with much shorter keys, ideal for mobile and IoT.
- bcrypt/Argon2: Purpose-built for password hashing. Never use MD5 or SHA-1 for passwords.