Michael, there are two numbers that are keyed to each other. If you
use one to encrypt, the other will decrypt and visa-versa.

The practice is to keep one private and very safe and publish the
other publicly. This way if you encrypt a posting with your private
key, the recipient can decrypt it with your public key - and know it
was from you.
Or your friend can encrypt a secret message with your public key and
only you can decrypt it with your private key

It isn't like a key to a lock, more like a keyed plug can only be
inserted the proper way into it's socket. the key is the fit, not the
secret.

On Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 6:01 PM, Michael Havens <bmike1@gmail.com> wrote:
> helps some but you state:
>
> you want others to be able to check that you actually
> sent the message (by using your public key)
>
> Where do they get your public key?
> How does your public key and private key decrypt when it seems the public
> key changes.
>
> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>
> On Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 5:48 PM, someone wrote:
>>
>> So if I'm right calling it a 'key' is a misnomer. I am a very literal
>> person. if they call it a key it unlocks things, not creates them.
>> That is where my confusion is from. Am I correct?
>>
>> Not quite correct...
>>
>> Both the public and private keys ARE keys... they're just used a
>> little differently.
>>
>> You keep your private key secure, and use it to digitally sign a
>> message when you want others to be able to check that you actually
>> sent the message (by using your public key). Others can send an
>> encrypted message that only you can decode, by encrypting the message
>> using your public key. When you get the message, you can use your
>> private key to undo the encryption that was done using your public
>> key.
>>
>> So, in a way, the public and private keys can be thought of as two
>> pieces of a single, combined key. The software that does the signing
>> or encryption (using the keys), such as gnupg, pgp, etc., is more like
>> the lock that the keys fit.
>>
>> I hope that helps.
>> --
>> Kevin O'Connor
>
>
>
>
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