Imagine outsiders coming to a facility, and owing to the lack of security, they steal some confidential data, information, reports or any other important materials. This can result in a business going kaput or repaying a huge amount of money to restore the original condition. None of these scenarios is affordable and the fact is that there are personalized solutions to protect and maintain the security.
Electronic key control offers an ideal solution for these issues. Under the broad category of key management, we can manage cryptographic keys in a cryptosystem. Such a system uses two specific types: the symmetric key and the asymmetric key, differentiated according to their encryption method. Both of them facilitate the electronic key control and come with their pros and cons.
Symmetric key
It follows an algorithm in which the sender and receiver share the same key that is used to both encrypt and decrypt messages. They have to specify the kind before encrypting or decrypting the messages using that key.
Electronic key control is much easier with the symmetric key, because the method of encryption is quite simple. The users just have to specify and share the secret key, which they can further encrypt and decrypt. There is no need for making different copies if someone needs to have the access alone.
In times of trouble when security is compromised, there is very little room for concern as it affects only between the pair of sender and receiver. Though it takes lesser time than the asymmetric kind, this symmetric type cannot guarantee the source of the message or its credibility.
Asymmetric key
It is used in a cryptographic system in which we need two separate copies: a public key to encrypt and a private key to decrypt the messages. Subsequently, the safety and security depend on the secrecy of the private key. A few benefits of this type include the room for message authentication and a tamper-proof mechanism, from its use of digital signatures.
Besides, asymmetric keys disallow the need for giving the secret key to another person, which compromise the security as in using the symmetric keys. However, they are much slower and can create a concern if the private key gets into the wrong hands.
Conclusion
Key management comprises a complex system made with steel doors, control terminal, radio-frequency identification (RFID) slots, RFID tags and several web solutions. It has been designed to secure and manage devices and valuables. This electronic key control solution, with its two specific types, has made taking safety and security measures effortless and equally effective.
