Homework Week 3 Case Study
Dashone D. Pearson
DeVry University
Kenneth Williams
SEC-280

As we all know, at all times, our information and/or sensitive data should be protected. There are plenty of ways to protect data but for the most part, when it comes to protecting data like in emails people use asymmetric or symmetric encryption. The basic level of protection, with each method of encryption can be categorized as being asymmetric or symmetric ( one key encrypts and another decrypts, the other key works both ways). The key that might be the most important to a business is asymmetric encryption. Asymmetric encryption, known as public key encryption, means that you have “one key for encryption (a public key) and another key for decryption (a private key). The public key can be given away freely to whoever wants it .If you had just the public key your data cannot be read, because people would need the private key to decrypt your data. For example, if you sent out your public key to everyone who emails you, they would all be able to send you encrypted emails that only you would be able to decrypt and read” (Future Publishing Limited). “Symmetric encryption, the secret key encryption, means that you have one key for encryption that works also as the key for decryption. The easiest symmetric encryption method to understand is called ROT13. Julius Caesar used this to encrypt orders going to Roman troops. ROT13 works by shifting all letters in the alphabet thirteen places to the right – A becomes N, B becomes O, Z becomes M, etc. Because there are twenty-six characters in the English alphabet, performing ROT13 a second time results in the original text again – N becomes A, O becomes O, and M becomes Z” (Future Publishing Limited).

“Symmetric encryption is very easy to use and usually very fast too. On the other hand, symmetric encryption keys must be kept secure – you would need to make sure each person who needs the key gets it without any risk of it getting out” (Future Publishing Limited). “Asymmetric encryption is generally slower than symmetric encryption, however the public keys they use are safe to be published anywhere (even on the Internet) because to get the private key from a public key could take hundreds of years of work” (Future Publishing Limited). With that said, ABC Institute of Research should go with asymmetric encryption if they wish to keep their top secret information safe. Luckily with asymmetric encryption their information will be kept private meaning none of the information will be shared. Asymmetric Encryption’s “major strength is its ability to