Understanding Asymmetric Key Cryptography

Asymmetric encryption is a type of encryption that uses two separates yet mathematically related keys to encrypt and decrypt data. The public key encrypts data while its corresponding private key decrypts it. This is why it's also known as public key encryption, public key cryptography, and asymmetric key encryption. The public key is open to everyone. Anyone can access it and encrypt data with it. However, once encrypted, that data can only be unlocked by using the corresponding private key. As you can imagine, the private key must be kept secret to keep it from becoming compromised. So, only the authorized person, server, machine, or instrument has access to the private key.