RSA Full Form | What is the Full Form of RSA?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 25th, 2023
RSA full form is derived from the surnames of Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adelman, who described the algorithm in 1977. RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) is a public-key cryptosystem used widely to secure data and its transmission. In this article, we will learn about the RSA full form, its history, properties, and usage.
The full form of RSA is Rivest-Shamir-Adleman. Knowing the RSA full form and introduction to the algorithm now, we will learn how effectively this algorithm is used in cryptosystems for encryption and decryption. In public-key cryptosystems, two distinct keys are generated, public and private. These keys are used to transmit data securely over a channel.
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Table of content
What is the Full Form of RSA?
The RSA full form is Rivest-Shamir-Adleman. The RSA algorithm is a public-key cryptosystem for secure data transmission based on public-key encryption technology. Because it uses a traditional encryption approach, this technology facilitates the transmission of sensitive and secret information over the internet.
RSA Full Form: History
The idea of a key cryptosystem is attributed to hellman and Diffie, who published the concept in 1976. Three scientists proposed this algorithm to secure data transmission: Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman. These scientists wanted to increase the security of data transmission, so they added code to this algorithm. However, Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA full form) is a relatively slow algorithm that is not commonly used.
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RSA Full Form: Properties
An RSA user generates a public key based on two prime numbers. These prime numbers are kept secret. Data can be encrypted by anyone but it can only be decrypted with a private key or by someone who knows the prime numbers used. Now let’s discuss the properties of RSA full form (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman):
- RSA uses a public-private key encryption method.
- It provides security to data transmission on the internet.
- It makes use of prime numbers and the factoring problem.
- It is a reliable yet slow algorithm for data encryption/ decryption.
- It is used to transmit shared keys for symmetric-key cryptography.
Working of RSA Algorithm
Having discussed the key idea behind the RSA full form, we will now see how this algorithm is implemented. The RSA algorithm involves four steps which are as follows:
- Key Generation
- Key distribution
- Encryption
- Decryption
All these four steps are required to implement the RSA algorithm for data transmission. Let’s discuss each one in detail.
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Key Generation
To generate a key, we choose two different prime numbers to say p and q. These prime numbers are chosen randomly and kept secret for security purposes. After choosing p and q, we compute n=p*q. This value of n is used as the modulus for both public and private keys. After modulus, we Computeλ(n), where λ is the Carmichael totient function. Finally, we choose an integer e which lies between 1 and λ(n). “e” is released as part of the public key. Ultimately, we determine the private key d by computing d≡e−1(modλ(n)).
Key Distribution
The sender must be aware of the receiver’s public key to transmit information. Public key distribution is done via a reliable route that is not necessarily secret.
Encryption and Decryption
The encryption and decryption are done with the help of keys generated in the first step, which are public and private keys, respectively to encrypt data over a channel the sender uses the receiver’s public key, and to decrypt data, the receiver uses its own private key.
RSA Full Form: Advantages
The RSA full form is Rivest-Shamir-Adleman. Given the complex mathematics involved, breaking the RSA algorithm is highly challenging. Let us check the advantages of RSA given below.
- The RSA algorithm can be implemented relatively quickly.
- The RSA algorithm is secure and reliable for sending private information.
- Public key distribution to consumers is simple.
RSA Full Form: Disadvantages
The full form of RSA is Rivest-Shamir-Adleman. After discussing the advantages of RSA, let us now discuss its disadvantages.
- Because RSA only employs asymmetric encryption and complete encryption requires both symmetric and asymmetric encryption, it might occasionally fail.
- Sometimes a third party is needed to confirm the validity of public keys.
- Decryption requires intensive processing on the receiver’s end.
- For public data encryption, such as electoral voting, RSA cannot be utilized.
- Decryption requires a large amount of processing power on the receiver’s end.
