Encryption key, one of a pair of keys used in conjunction with a non-symmetric encryption algorithm. The private key is uniquely associated with a specific entity and must be securely guarded and never disclosed. The private key is used to create digital signatures and to decrypt messages or files that have been encrypted using the corresponding public key. It is also sometimes called a 'private key'. See also Public key / Public key, which is uniquely associated with a group entity and can be freely distributed. Public keys are used to verify digital signatures and to encrypt messages or files so that they can be decrypted by the entity that holds the corresponding private key;