Which encryption method uses a pair of keys for encrypting data?

Asymmetric encryption is characterized by the use of a pair of keys: a public key and a private key. This method allows for secure communication and data encryption in a way that distinguishes it from symmetric encryption, which relies on a single shared key for both encryption and decryption processes.

In asymmetric encryption, the public key can be shared with anyone, allowing them to encrypt messages that only the holder of the private key can decrypt. This addresses important security concerns, such as key distribution and secure communication over an insecure medium. The dual-key system enhances security by ensuring that even if someone has access to the public key, they cannot easily deduce the private key.

Hashing, in contrast, is not an encryption method but rather a process that converts data into a fixed-length string of characters, which is typically used for data integrity checks but does not allow for recovering the original data. Base64 encoding is used to encode binary data into an ASCII format and is not a method of encryption; it is primarily for data representation and transmission.