Re: Encrypt a file
On Mon, 9 Oct 2000, Samuli Suonpaa wrote:
> Damian Menscher <menscher@uiuc.edu> writes:
> > On Mon, 9 Oct 2000, Brian May wrote:
> >> While there are pros and cons in both methods, I have to wonder
> >> what you need to encrypt files for. For most applications,
> >> asymmetric encryption is better.
> > No, for most applications, symmetric encryption is better. It is
> > stronger, faster, more standardized, better tested, etc. The
> > asymmetric methods often use asymmetric encryption only to encrypt a
> > key for a symmetric algorithm.
>
> Umm... As you state, most applications asymmetric only for the key and
> symmetric for data. How come you still consider symmetric encryption
> to be faster?
I'm afraid I don't understand your question... but hopefully this
question will help you understand:
Why do you think the asymmetric algorithms are really just wrappers
around a symmetric algorithm? (Answer: because the symmetric method is
faster!)
Damian Menscher
--
--==## Grad. student & Sys. Admin. @ U. Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ##==--
--==## <menscher@uiuc.edu> www.uiuc.edu/~menscher/ Ofc:(217)333-0038 ##==--
--==## Physics Dept, 1110 W Green, Urbana IL 61801 Fax:(217)333-9819 ##==--
Reply to: