About Lesson
How Symmetric Key Cryptography Works
The process of symmetric encryption can be broken into the following steps:
Key Generation: A secret key is generated, typically a random sequence of bits. The strength of the encryption depends heavily on the size and randomness of this key.
Encryption: The plaintext message is transformed into ciphertext using a symmetric encryption algorithm and the secret key.
Transmission: The ciphertext is sent to the intended recipient over the communication channel.
Decryption: The recipient uses the same secret key and the symmetric decryption algorithm to convert the ciphertext back into plaintext.
The security of this system depends entirely on the secrecy of the key. If the key is intercepted or leaked, the encrypted data becomes vulnerable.