Which algorithm is a classic example of asymmetric cryptography?

Which algorithm is a classic example of asymmetric cryptography?

• A. RSA
• B. AES
• C. DES
• D. SHA-256

Answer: (D)

Asymmetric cryptography uses a pair of keys: a public key that can be shared openly and a private key that remains secret. This setup enables two main capabilities: encrypting with the public key so only the private-key holder can decrypt, and signing with the private key so others can verify with the public key. RSA is a classic example of this approach, where data can be encrypted with a public key and decrypted with the corresponding private key, and where signatures are created with the private key and verified with the public key. AES and DES are examples of symmetric cryptography, which rely on a single shared key for both encryption and decryption. SHA-256, meanwhile, is a cryptographic hash function, not an encryption algorithm; it produces a fixed-size digest to ensure integrity, not to provide confidentiality. So the best example of asymmetric cryptography is RSA.

Asymmetric cryptography uses a pair of keys: a public key that can be shared openly and a private key that remains secret. This setup enables two main capabilities: encrypting with the public key so only the private-key holder can decrypt, and signing with the private key so others can verify with the public key. RSA is a classic example of this approach, where data can be encrypted with a public key and decrypted with the corresponding private key, and where signatures are created with the private key and verified with the public key.

AES and DES are examples of symmetric cryptography, which rely on a single shared key for both encryption and decryption. SHA-256, meanwhile, is a cryptographic hash function, not an encryption algorithm; it produces a fixed-size digest to ensure integrity, not to provide confidentiality.

So the best example of asymmetric cryptography is RSA.