2 Symmetric Algorithms

Symmetric key algorithms utilize a single shared secret key for both encryption (transforming plain text into ciphertext) and decryption (reverting ciphertext back to plain text). These algorithms fall into two categories:

  • Stream Ciphers: Operate on individual data units (often bytes) in a sequential manner, offering faster processing but potentially weaker security.

  • Block Ciphers: Process data in fixed-size blocks (typically 64 or 128 bits), providing a more robust encryption compared to stream ciphers, albeit with slightly slower performance.