Mmastodon WorldEU Politics first seen 8 h ago, last 6 h ago, peak #7

Padlock analogy explains how public-key encryption works

Original: how can someone send you a private message without your secret key? 🔐 simple. you give them an open padlock, but you kee

An explanation of public-key cryptography is circulating, using a padlock analogy: to receive a private message, you share an open padlock (your public key) while keeping the key (your private key). Anyone can lock a message with the padlock, but only your private key can open it, so intermediaries cannot read it.

Why now: Simple, accessible explainers of encryption tend to circulate widely whenever digital privacy and secure messaging are in the news.

public-key cryptographyencryption

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Evidence

• how can someone send you a private message without your secret key? 🔐 simple. you give them an open padlock, but you keep the key. they use your padlock to lock the message before sending it. once locked, only your private key can open it. anyone handling the box along the way… · chryptorlabs · 5

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