Public Key
The public key operates as one half of a cryptographic key pair in secure communication, used predominantly for encrypting messages. Contrary to the private key, which remains confidential with its owner, the public key is openly available and shared without compromising security. In practice, when a sender wishes to transmit a secure message, they employ the recipient's public key for encryption, ensuring that only the recipient can decrypt the message using their corresponding private key, thereby maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the communication.