- A big disadvantage of symmetric key algorithms is the requirement of a shared secret key, with one copy at each end.
- Since keys are subject to potential discovery by a cryptographic adversary, they need to be changed often and kept secure during distribution and in service.
- Choosing, distributing, and storing keys without error and without loss is difficult to reliably achieve.
- Symmetric key algorithms are computationally less intensive than asymmetric key algorithms.
- In practice, this means that a quality asymmetric key algorithm is much slower than a quality symmetric key algorithm.
What are the categories of symmetric key encyption?
See Also
SECRET KEY - Starting Treatment EssenceUnderstanding Secret Keys: What They Are and How They WorkDefining Key Exchange Challenges with Encryption - Blue Goat CyberHard-Coded Secrets | GuardRails
© 2006 John Michael Pierobon
