pke

1 definition found

pke - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  public-key encryption
  PKE
  public-key cryptography
  
     <cryptography> (PKE, Or "public-key cryptography") An
     encryption scheme, introduced by Diffie and Hellman in 1976,
     where each person gets a pair of keys, called the public key
     and the private key.  Each person's public key is published
     while the private key is kept secret.  Messages are encrypted
     using the intended recipient's public key and can only be
     decrypted using his private key.  This is often used in
     conjunction with a digital signature.
  
     The need for sender and receiver to share secret information
     (keys) via some secure channel is eliminated: all
     communications involve only public keys, and no private key is
     ever transmitted or shared.
  
     Public-key encryption can be used for authentication,
     confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation.
  
     RSA encryption is an example of a public-key cryptosystem.
  
     alt.security FAQ  (http://cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/bngusenet/alt/security/top.html)
      .
  
     See also knapsack problem.
  
     (1995-03-27)