What are the differences between the RSA and ECC encryption algorithms?
RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) encryption algorithm: An international standard algorithm and one of the earliest to be applied. It has a broader universality compared to the ECC algorithm, with a wider range of applicability and better compatibility. It typically employs a 2048-bit encryption length, though it consumes more server performance.
ECC (Elliptic-curve cryptography): A new mainstream algorithm. It is normally 256 bits in length (a 256-bit ECC key is equivalent to a 3072-bit RSA key), making it securer and able to offer stronger anti-attack capabilities. Moreover, the computation of ECC is faster than RSA, and thus it offers higher efficiency and consumes fewer server resources.
Differences between these two encryption algorithms are described as follows:
Comparison Item | ECC | RSA encryption |
Key length | 256 bits | 2,048 bits |
CPU usage | Less | Higher |
Memory usage | Less | Higher |
Network Usage | Less | Higher |
Encryption Efficiency | Higher | Average |
Resistance to Attacks | Stronger | Average |
Compatibility Range | Supports new browsers and OS (some platforms such as cPanel are not supported) | Supports all |