Exploring the Dark Side of Asymmetric Cryptography | COMP6441 Project - Episode 2

Episode 2: The Dark Side of Asymmetric Cryptography 🎓 COMP6441 Security Engineering Project – Nathan Zhang In this episode, we explore the less-talked-about side of public-key encryption: its vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and real-world risks. From performance issues on low-power devices to serious security concerns like key mismanagement, man-in-the-middle attacks, and government-inserted backdoors, asymmetric cryptography is powerful, but not perfect. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why asymmetric encryption is slower and more power-hungry than symmetric methods How poor key management can lead to total compromise What man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks look like in the real world How even well-designed algorithms can hide intentional backdoors Why trust is just as important as the math Understanding these risks is critical to using encryption responsibly and securely.