Explain the RSA 2048 encryption.
On DigiCert's page, they advertise a 2048 bit SSL with a 256 bit encryption:
What exactly is the difference here and why are two encryption bits being referenced? On Geotrust's Premium SSL ad, they advertise it as:
Security: domain control validation, strong 256-bit encryption, 2048-bit root So what's the difference between 256 bit encryption and 2048 bit root?
From Digicert: https://www.digicert.com/ssl-cryptography.htm
"Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) uses a hybrid cryptosystem and benefits from using both types of" "(Asymmetric and Symmetric) encryption."
"Asymmetric encryption (or public-key cryptography) uses a separate key for encryption and decryption."
"Symmetric encryption (or pre-shared key encryption) uses a single key to both encrypt and decrypt data."
"Public-key cryptography (asymmetric) uses encryption algorithms like RSA to create the public and private keys." "RSA is based on the presumed difficulty of factoring large integers." "keys smaller than 2048 bits are no longer considered safe to use"; "would take an average computer more than 14 billion years to crack."
"Symmetric key sizes are typically 128 or 256 bits." "a 128-bit key has 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 encryption code possibilities"; "would take quite a bit of time to break a 128-bit key."Summary: The RSA 2048 encryption refers to the Asymmetric encryption offered by Digicert to transfer the 256-bit Symmetric key to facilitate the data exchange (secure communication) between the client & server (via SSL/TLS).
Answer (1)
RSA 2048 encryption is a widely used public-key cryptographic system that secures data transmission. Here's an overview of its key components and how it works:
Key Components
- Public and Private Keys:
- Public Key: Used to encrypt data. It is made public so anyone can use it to send secure messages.
- Private Key: Used to decrypt data. It is kept secret and only the intended recipient can use it to read the messages.
Key Length:
RSA 2048 refers to the key length of 2048 bits, providing a high level of security.
How RSA 2048 Encryption Works
Key Generation:
Two large prime numbers are selected,