Which type of encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption?

The concept of symmetric encryption centers around the use of the same key for both the encryption and decryption processes. This means that the same secret key is shared between the parties involved, allowing for quick and efficient encryption and decryption of data. In symmetric encryption, both the sender and receiver must have access to this key in a secure manner, as anyone with the key can decrypt the information.

On the other hand, asymmetric encryption employs a different approach, utilizing a pair of keys—a public key and a private key. This means that one key is used for encryption (usually the public key), and a different key is used for decryption (the private key). Hash functions are not encryption methods but rather generate a fixed-size output (a hash) from input data, which cannot be reversed to retrieve the original data. Cryptographic algorithms is a broader term that encompasses various methods of securing information, including both symmetric and asymmetric encryption, but it doesn't specifically refer to the process of using the same key for both encryption and decryption.