Thesis statement
Computer security is a crucial concept in ensuring organizational performance and efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery. This is so, especially since the application of technology in delivering services is now a basic need to any organization that desires to compete favorably in the market economy, given the rise and move towards globalization (Conklin, 2010).
Data and network security form part of the foremost computer security concern in most organizations. This includes both asymmetric and asymmetric method of ensuring the maintenance and establishment of security. However, deciding between these two types of computer security is a substantial problem that most organizations are facing.
Introduction
In deciding which among the two is suitable for use in ABC, an analysis of the two is necessary. Researchers say public key cryptography is more secure than the private key cryptography, but others dispute this view as being so much biased. In examining the extent of their use, none of the two is more popular than the other, but both apply to their suiting situations and to which their unique benefits pertain (Conklin, 2010).
Asymmetric and Symmetric Cryptography
Asymmetric key algorithms are well known for their use in public key cryptography given their mathematical relationships and links. This also entails the use of keys, where someone ensures that the information is encrypted so that they are in the cipher text. This key is well known for its confidentiality capability and its support for digital signatures used in ensuring authentication and reducing issues of contradictions.
Convenience associated with asymmetric cryptography forms its greatest advantage and makes it a better choice. This is as a result of the fact that public keys are readily available for use by any interested party. Authenticity, validity, and accountability issues are also addressed and effected by use of this method adding up to its strengths.
On another perspective, this method has some limitations. Key among them all is the need to authenticate them and their slow nature. Asymmetric keys are also hard to replace once lost, are too much compromising on most security issues and require so many computer resources to function effectively (Stallings, 2011).
On the other hand, symmetric key cryptography is a situation where only one key is used both in encrypting and decrypting. This comes with a challenge to key management if the keys are to be used effectively and securely. This cryptography is also known as private key cryptography or one- key cryptography. This encryption is easier and faster to implement and use as it is less complex especially when the files are managed by one person. It also uses minimal resources, and in the event of a security compromise, only one set of communication is affected while the rest remains secure (Stallings, 2011).
However, there are some limitations associated with the use of this method for security of data and networks. Ensuring the key remains a secret and unknown to people who should not access it is a leading limitation, followed by the need to have many keys for all the communications that are to be made. It is also a challenge to verify how much authentic a message is since both parties use the same key.
Conclusion
Having discussed the two possible methods of ensuring security of information in ABC is maintained, use of asymmetric key algorithms is seen as the best solution to their situation. This is true after considering how confidential their data is and the fact that the keys will be accessed by multiple people legible to access to and use of information. It is a somehow public institute that has many users, ranging from the internal users to other third party stakeholders (Conklin, 2010).
References
Conklin, W. A. (2010). Principles of computer security: CompTIA security+ and beyond (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Stallings, W. (2011). Cryptography and network security: principles and practice (5th ed.). Boston: Prentice Hall.