Private key

See also: Security | Cryptography | Public-Key Cryptosystem | Public key

Also known as: Secret Key

A key file or block of text that is important in most secure communications. In online transactions, Private Keys are generated automatically (SSL) but, in PGP, Private keys must be manually created, usually at install.

The private key is one of three security features of the Public-Key Cryptosystem, working with the public key and user password to create a secure channel.

Like the name, the “Private” Key should be kept secret, on a separate disk if possible, to protect against Key-Logging Attack.

If intercepted, your communications are not necessarily compromised – its merely an extra layer of security, even with both your Public Key and Private Key and very difficult to break your secure communications without the password.

Example:

An actual Private Key block generated using GPG (test@test.com):

<pre>


BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (MingW32) – WinPT 0.7.96rc1

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4eTn


END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

</pre>

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