Managing Public Keys; Configuration Task List - HP 10500 Series Configuration Manual

Managing public keys

To protect data confidentiality during transmission, the data sender uses an algorithm and a key to
encrypt the plain text data before sending the data out. The receiver uses the same algorithm with the
help of a key to decrypt the data, as shown in
Figure 75 Encryption and decryption
The keys that participate in the conversion between plain text and cipher text can be the same or different,
dividing the encryption and decryption algorithms into the following types:
Symmetric key algorithm—The keys for encryption and decryption are the same.
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Asymmetric key algorithm—The keys for encryption and decryption are different. One is the public
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key, and the other is the private key. The information encrypted with the public key can only be
decrypted with the corresponding private key, and vice versa. The private key is kept secret, and the
public key may be distributed widely. The private key cannot be practically derived from the public
key. Asymmetric key algorithms include the Revest-Shamir-Adleman Algorithm (RSA) and the Digital
Signature Algorithm (DSA).
The asymmetric key algorithms can be used for the following purposes:
To encrypt and decrypt data—Any public key receiver can use the public key to encrypt information,
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but only the private key owner can decrypt the information. This mechanism ensures confidentiality.
Only RSA can be used for data encryption and decryption.
To authenticate a sender—Also called "digital signature." The key owner uses the private key to
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"sign" information to be sent, and the receiver decrypts the information with the sender's public key
to verify information authenticity. RSA and DSA can be used for digital signature.

Configuration task list

Public key configuration tasks enable you to manage the local asymmetric key pairs and configure the
peer host public keys on the local device. By completing these tasks, the local device is ready to work
with applications such as SSH to implement data encryption/decryption, or digital signature.
Complete these tasks to configure public keys:
Task
Configuring a local
asymmetric key pair on the
local device
Specifying the peer public key on the local device
Figure
Creating a local asymmetric key pair
Displaying or exporting the local host public key
Destroying a local asymmetric key pair
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75.
Remarks
Choose one or more
tasks.