
Uses a two-part key. Each recipient has a private key that is kept secret and a public key that is published for everyone. The sender looks up or is sent the recipient’s public key and uses it to encrypt the message. The recipient uses the private key to decrypt the message and never publishes or transmits the private key to anyone. Thus, the private key is never in transit and remains invulnerable. This system is sometimes referred to as using public keys. This reduces the risk of data loss and increases compliance management when the private keys are properly managed.