How does public-key cryptography work?

The two keys used in public-key cryptography are related by a mathematical function

  • These functions are "easy" to perform but "hard" to reverse

Commonly used functioons include:

  • Factoring

  • Discrete logarithm

  • Elliptic-curve descrete logarithm

Public-key cryptography is secure as long as these problems remain "hard"

  • Quantum computing threatens this

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