Overview#

A Public Key and Private Key are Cryptographic Keys that are Cryptographically (mathematically) linked.

Public Key and Private Key together form a Public-Private Key pair

The Public Key is used to decrypt ciphertext or to create a digital signature.

The Private Key is used to encrypt plaintext or to verify a digital signature

The two keys are used in Asymmetric Key Cryptography stems from the use of different keys to perform these opposite functions, each the inverse of the other.

Asymmetric Key Cryptography as contrasted Symmetric Key Cryptography which relies on the same key to perform both.

More Information#

There might be more information for this subject on one of the following:

• A Low Infrastructure Public Key Mechanism Using SPKM
• Asymmetric Key
• Asymmetric Key Cryptography
• Asymmetric Key Packages
• Asymmetric cipher
• AuthorityKeyIdentifier
• Binding
• Blockchain Identity
• Blockstack
• CA Constraint
• CAPK
• CRLSign
• Certificate
• Certificate Authority
• Certificate Chain
• Certificate File Formats
• Certificate Request Message Format
• Certificate Signature
• Certificate Signing Request
• Certificate Subject
• Certificate Validation
• Certificate-based Authentication
• CertificateVerify
• Cipher
• Cipher Suite
• Client To Authenticator Protocol
• ClientKeyExchange
• Consent Receipts
• ContentCommitment
• Cryptographic Key
• DID Authentication
• DID Document
• DID descriptor objects
• DataEncipherment
• DecipherOnly
• Diffie-Hellman
• Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral
• Diffie-Hellman key-exchange
• Diffie-Hellman or RSA
• Digital Signature
• Digital Signature Algorithm
• DomainKeys Identified Mail
• EMV Terms
• Elliptic Curve
• Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman
• EncipherOnly
• Ephemeral Key
• FAL 2
• FIDO
• FIDO Authenticator
• FIDO Client
• FIDO Server
• FIDO Standards
• FIPS 186
• Federation Models
• Flat Cleaner
• Hash Function
• How SSL-TLS Works
• Hybrid cryptosystem
• Hyperledger Indy
• ID Key
• Identity Certificate
• JLINC
• JSON Web Token Claims
• JWK
• JWK Set
• Java KeyStore
• Kerberos
• Key Generation
• Key Transparency
• Key Verification
• Key pair
• Key-Exchange
• KeyAgreement
• KeyCertSign
• KeyEncipherment
• LOA 4
• Login_hint_token
• Menezes-Qu-Vanstone
• NCP Primary Authentication Protocol
• NDS Authentication
• NonRepudiation
• OAuth 2.0 Demonstration of Proof-of-Possession at the Application Layer
• OAuth 2.0 JWT Secured Authorization Request
• Offline Data Authentication
• Online Certificate Status Protocol
• Open-Loop Authentication
• Openid-configuration
• PKCS 1
• PKCS10
• PKCS12
• Pay To Script Hash
• Pre-Shared Key Ciphersuites for Transport Layer Security (TLS)
• Privacy-Enhanced Mail
• Private Key
• Privilege Management Infrastructure
• Public Key Algorithm
• Public Key Credential
• Public Key Cryptography
• Public Key Infrastructure Weaknesses
• Public Key Pinning Extension for HTTP
• Public-Key Cryptography Standards
• RS256
• RSA
• RSA Cryptography
• RSA Public Key
• RSA key-exchange
• RSASSA-PSS
• SASService
• SDA
• Schannel SSP
• ServerCertificate
• Shared Secret
• Signature Verification
• SignatureValue
• Sub_jwk
• Subject Alternative Name
• Subject Public Key Info
• SubjectKeyIdentifier
• TLS 1.3
• TLS Full Handshake
• TLSA
• The Simple Public-Key GSS-API Mechanism
• Time synchronization
• Token Binding Protocol
• Trust Anchor
• U-Prove
• Using the Secure Remote Password (SRP) Protocol for TLS Authentication
• Verifying Certificate Signatures
• W3C Decentralized Identifiers
• Web of Trust
• WebAuthn Authenticator
• WebAuthn Registration
• Why OpenID Connect
• X.509
• Yubico