Quick summary
- Term
- Private Key
- Plain-English definition
- A private key is secret cryptographic data used with certificates, encryption, or authentication.
- Technical definition
- A private key is secret cryptographic data used with certificates, encryption, or authentication.
- Commonly confused with
- authentication.
- Related terms
- CSR, SSL Certificate, TLS
Definition
A private key is secret cryptographic data used with certificates, encryption, or authentication.
Why it matters
Private keys must be protected because exposure can compromise security.