AP® Cybersecurity glossary

Symmetric encryption

Course: AP® Cybersecurity Shows up in: Unit 5: Securing Applications and Data

Encryption that uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt information.

Appears in the course and exam description (CED): 5.3.A.4

Why it matters in Unit 5

Both sides must already share the secret key.

Example

AES encrypting a file with one password.

Related terms

• Asymmetric encryption
• Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)