What security benefit does Public Key Cryptography provide?

Public Key Cryptography provides critical security benefits primarily focused on confidentiality and data integrity. By using two keys—a public key and a private key—this cryptographic method allows for secure communication between parties. The public key can be shared openly, allowing anyone to encrypt messages meant for the owner of the corresponding private key, which remains confidential and secure.

This means that only the intended recipient, who possesses the private key, can decrypt and read the message. This ensures confidentiality because even if an unauthorized party intercepts the encrypted message, they cannot read it without access to the private key.

Additionally, Public Key Cryptography supports data integrity through the use of digital signatures. The sender can sign a message using their private key, and the recipient can then verify the signature with the sender’s public key. If the message has been altered in any way, the signature verification will fail, thereby ensuring that the data remains intact and unmodified during transmission.

The other options do not encapsulate the core security advantages of Public Key Cryptography. For instance, efficient database management and reduction of storage costs do not relate directly to cryptographic security. Easy public access to sensitive data contradicts the fundamental purpose of Public Key Cryptography, which is to ensure that sensitive information remains confidential