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A4 - Asymmetric Encryption

Task 1

Go to this website: https://www.devglan.com/online-tools/rsa-encryption-decryption

  • Click the first orange button to generate a public/private key pair
  • Below this, create a text message to be encypted using your public key. Click the orange Encypt button.
  • Take the encrypted message, and paste it into the decryption side of the screen. Click the orange Decrypt button to decrypt the message using your private key. Your original message should appear.

No need to show me this step.

Task 2

  • Use the website from Task 1 to generate a public/private key pair
  • Email a partner your public key only
  • Your partner should use the website to create an encrypted message using your public key and send it to you.
  • When you receive the message, you should decrypt it using your private key.

When you're done, show me the email exchange and your final decrypted message.

Task 3 - Extension

Asymmetric encrypion solves the problem of key sharing, but it's also very slow. In reality, asymmetric encryption is used to privately share a symmeteric key, which is then used by both parties to communicate securely back and forth.

With a partner, try to create an email exchange that mimics this process.

The email exchange you create should show how asymmetric encryption was used to share a symmetric key, and that symmetric key being used to securely transfer a secret message.

You can see an example of this process in this document.