1.
encryption key; cryptographic key
The string of bits used by a cryptographic algorithm to encrypt or decrypt data. The technical term used in information-security documents, software manuals, and news articles about cybersecurity.
暗号鍵を生成する。
To generate an encryption key.
暗号鍵が漏れると、通信内容が読まれてしまう恐れがある。
If the encryption key is leaked, there is a risk that the contents of the communication can be read.
公開鍵暗号では、公開鍵と秘密鍵という二つの暗号鍵をペアで使う。
In public-key cryptography, two encryption keys — the public key and the private key — are used as a pair.
Composed of 暗号 (cipher, code, encryption) and 鍵 (key). A calque of the English term "encryption key," used in cryptography, security standards, and technical documentation.
USAGE:
- Used in technical writing, network/security news, and developer documentation.
- Often appears in compounds describing the key type: 公開鍵 (public key), 秘密鍵 (private/secret key), 共通鍵 (common/symmetric key).
- The reading is あんごうかぎ}; be careful not to mix it with {暗号化 (encryption, as a process).
- Pronunciation: the 鍵 in compounds like this is usually read as かぎ, not けん.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 暗号鍵を生成する: to generate an encryption key
- 暗号鍵を管理する: to manage encryption keys
- 暗号鍵が漏れる: for the encryption key to leak
- 暗号鍵の交換: exchange of encryption keys
- 強力な暗号鍵: a strong encryption key
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 暗号: cipher, code, encryption — the broader term
- 暗号化: encryption (the process) — often used with する as a verb
- 復号: decryption — undoing encryption
- 公開鍵: public key — the publishable half of an asymmetric key pair
- 秘密鍵: private/secret key — the half that must be kept confidential
- パスワード: password — what end users remember, not the raw cryptographic key