In a typical cryptographic transaction the sender and receiver choose a cryptographic system and, at some time before the message is to be sent, the sender chooses the key. This determines which transformation of the system will be used to encrypt the message. The key is then sent to the receiver by some safe path (inaccesible to the opponent). Upon obtaining the key the receiver determines which transformation of the system is to be used to decrypt the message. Key - The information, usually a sequence of digits or symbols, used to determine the method by which the plaintext is to be transformed into ciphertext Copyright 1997 by Slackers Union. Comments should go to any of the group members. Opinions reflected on this page are by no means opinions of UCSD. Go sue somebody else. Last Modified: June 1, 1997 |