Symmetric encryption
- Term
- Symmetric encryption
- Exam
- CISA & CISM
- Definition
Encryption that uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt.
- Explained
Symmetric encryption uses one shared secret key for encryption and decryption. It is fast and suits bulk data, but the key must be shared and protected securely.
- In practice
Encrypting a backup with AES using a single secret key.
- Often confused with
- Asymmetric encryption
- Exam angle
Fast; the challenge is securely sharing the key.
- Related