RSA Key Exchange

RSA Key Exchange is a cryptographic protocol used to securely establish a shared secret key between two parties over an insecure channel, leveraging the RSA public-key cryptosystem. It involves one party encrypting a randomly generated symmetric key with the other party's public RSA key, which can only be decrypted with the corresponding private key, enabling secure communication. This method is foundational in protocols like TLS/SSL for initial handshakes, ensuring confidentiality and integrity in data transmission.

Also known as: RSA Key Agreement, RSA Key Transport, RSA Key Establishment, RSA Key Distribution, RSA Key Exchange Protocol

Why learn RSA Key Exchange?

Developers should learn RSA Key Exchange when implementing secure communication in applications, such as web servers using HTTPS, VPNs, or encrypted messaging systems, to protect against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. It is particularly useful in scenarios where asymmetric encryption is needed to bootstrap a secure session before switching to faster symmetric encryption for bulk data transfer, as seen in modern internet protocols.

Learning Resources

• docs: RSA Key Exchange in TLS
• course: Cryptography I by Stanford University
• video: RSA Key Exchange Explained
• book: Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier
• tutorial: RSA Key Exchange Tutorial