Cryptography is the practice of securing information and communication by converting it into a code that is unreadable to anyone except the intended recipient. It is important because it helps protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized individuals.
A public key is part of a cryptographic system that uses asymmetric encryption. It is made available to anyone and is used to encrypt data. The encrypted data can then only be decrypted by the corresponding private key, which is kept secret by the owner.
A private key is a secret code that is used to decrypt data that has been encrypted with its corresponding public key. It is kept confidential by the owner and should never be shared with anyone else. A public key, on the other hand, is made available to anyone and is used to encrypt data.
Public and private keys are commonly used in secure communication, such as online banking and e-commerce transactions. They are also used in digital signatures to verify the authenticity of a document or message.
Public and private keys work together to ensure secure communication by using asymmetric encryption. The public key encrypts the data, which can only be decrypted by the corresponding private key. This makes it difficult for anyone without the private key to intercept and read the information being transmitted.