public key

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CYB-003370",
  "term": "public key",
  "field": "Cybersecurity",
  "definition": "1. The public part of an asymmetric key pair that is typically used to verify signatures or encrypt data.\n\n2. A cryptographic key that is used with an asymmetric (public key) cryptographic algorithm and is associated with a private key. The public key is associated with an owner and may be made public. In the case of digital signatures, the public key is used to verify a digital signature that was generated using the corresponding private key.\n\n3. A cryptographic key that is used with an asymmetric (public-key) cryptographic algorithm and is associated with a private key. The public key is associated with an owner and may be made public. In the case of digital signatures, the public key is used to verify a digital signature that was generated using the corresponding private key.\n\n4. A mathematical key that has public availability and that applications use to encrypt data or to verify signatures created with its corresponding private key.\n\n5. A cryptographic key used with a public key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public.\n\n6. A cryptographic key used by a public-key (asymmetric) cryptographic algorithm that may be made public.\n\n7. A cryptographic key that may be made public and is used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm. A public key is associated with a private key.\n\n8. The public part of an asymmetric key pair that is used to verify signatures or encrypt data.\n\n9. A cryptographic key that is used with an asymmetric (public key) cryptographic algorithm and is associated with a private key. The public key is associated with an owner and may be made public. In the case of digital signatures, the public key is used to verify a digital signature that was signed by the corresponding private key.\n\n10. A cryptographic key used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. The public key has a corresponding private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used: 1. To verify a digital signature that is signed by the corresponding private key, 2. To encrypt keys that can be decrypted using corresponsing private key, or 3. As on of the input values to compute a shared secret during a key agreement transaction.\n\n11. A cryptographic key used with a public-key (asymmetric-key) algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. In an asymmetric (public) key cryptosystem, the public key is associated with a private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used to 1. Verify a digital signature that is signed by the corresponding private key, 2. Encrypt data that can be decrypted by the corresponding private key, or 3. Compute a shared secret during a key-agreement process.\n\n12. A cryptographic key used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. In an asymmetric-key (public-key) cryptosystem, the public key has a corresponding private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used, for example, to: 1. Verify a digital signature that was generated using the corresponding private key, 2. Encrypt keys that can be decrypted using the corresponding private key, or 3. Compute a shared secret during a key-agreement transaction.\n\n13. A cryptographic key used with an asymmetric-key (public-key) cryptographic algorithm that may be made public and is associated with a private key and an entity that is authorized to use that private key. Depending on the algorithm that employs the public key, it may be used to:\n1. Verify a digital signature that is signed by the corresponding private key;\n2. Encrypt data that can be decrypted by the corresponding private key; or\n3. Compute a piece of shared data (i.e., data that is known only by two or more specific entities).\n\n14. A cryptographic key used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. In an asymmetric-key (public-key) cryptosystem, the public key has a corresponding private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used to\n1. Verify a digital signature that was generated using the corresponding private key,\n2. Encrypt keys that can be decrypted using the corresponding private key, or\n3. Compute a shared secret during a key-agreement transaction.",
  "references": [
    "FIPS 201-3; NIST SP 1800-12b",
    "FIPS 186-5",
    "FIPS 204; FIPS 205 from FIPS 186-5",
    "CNSSI 4009-2022 from CNSSI 1300 (adapted)",
    "NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1 from FIPS 140-2",
    "NIST SP 800-152",
    "NIST SP 800-56B Rev. 2",
    "NIST SP 1800-16B; NIST SP 1800-16C; NIST SP 1800-16D; NIST SP 1800-17b; NIST SP 1800-17c",
    "NIST SP 800-89",
    "NIST SP 800-57 Part 2 Rev.1",
    "NIST SP 800-175B Rev. 1",
    "NIST SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5",
    "NIST SP 800-133 Rev. 2",
    "NIST SP 800-63-4; NIST SP 800-63A-4",
    "NIST CSRC Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/cybersecurity/public-key/"
}