A nice introduction to public key cryptography, focusing on RSA.
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Ehtyar.
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Cryptography, the art of concealing the meaning of messages, has been practiced for at least 3000 years. In the past few centuries, it has become an indispensable tool in the military affairs, diplomacy, and commerce of most major nations. During that time there have been many innovations, and cryptography has changed and grown to accommodate the increasingly complex needs of its users. Present techniques are very sophisticated and provide excellent message protection. Current developments in computer technology and information theory, however, are on the verge of revolutionizing cryptography. New kinds of cryptographic systems are emerging that have incredible properties, which appear to eliminate completely some problems that have plagued cryptography users for centuries. One of these new systems is public key cryptography.
In public key systems, as in most forms of cryptography, a piece of information called a key is used to transform a message into cryptic form. In conventional cryptography this key must be kept secret, for it can also be used to decrypt the message. In public key cryptography, however, a message remains secure even if its encryption key is publicly revealed. This unique feature gives public key systems great advantages over conventional systems.
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Ehtyar.
