RSA Encryption
RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) is a widely used public-key cryptosystem for secure data transmission, digital signatures, and key exchange. It relies on the mathematical difficulty of factoring large prime numbers to provide asymmetric encryption, where a public key encrypts data and a private key decrypts it. This enables secure communication over insecure channels without pre-shared secrets.
Developers should learn RSA for implementing secure authentication, data encryption, and digital signatures in applications like HTTPS/TLS, SSH, PGP, and blockchain systems. It's essential when building systems requiring confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation, such as e-commerce platforms, secure messaging apps, or identity verification services. Understanding RSA helps in selecting appropriate cryptographic methods and avoiding security pitfalls.