public-key cryptography
nounUK /ˌpʌblɪk kiː krɪpˈtɒɡrəfi/
US /ˌpʌblɪk kiː krɪpˈtɑːɡrəfi/
A way to send secret messages using two keys, one that everyone can see and one that only you keep.
Websites use public-key cryptography to keep your passwords safe when you log in.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A method where a public key encrypts data and a matching private key decrypts it.
The sender used her public key to lock the file, and only her private key could open it.
3. A system that lets people prove who they are online using key pairs.
Digital certificates rely on public-key cryptography to confirm a website's identity.
4. The branch of cryptography that uses two different but linked keys instead of one shared key.
Public-key cryptography solved the problem of sharing a secret key safely over the internet.