In short, symmetric encryption is a type of ciphering mechanism that allows all parties to receive an encrypted file and decipher it using a previously shared key. Whereas on the contrary, asymmetric encryption is a ciphering mechanism in which a file is decrypted or deciphered using public or private keys. Due to the age of symmetric encryption, it is not all that safe in comparison to asymmetric encryption. However, asymmetric encryption is also much slower than symmetric encryption.

One of the best ways to decipher or crack or cryptosystem is to either know a particular hashing algorithm or key. In a previous homework assignment, I mentioned the code obfuscation that Niantic, the company behind the Pokemon Go app, used to protect their servers from unauthorized access. Along with that code obfuscation, they have also added a layer of hashing algorithm to go alongside to make it even more challenging for hackers to decipher it. They will first have to shuffle through the thousands if not hundreds of thousands, lines of useless code base before they can even get to the hashing mechanisms. This method is super useful because all of the cheaters were gone from that point on.