What is the use of asymmetric and symmetric encryption in the HTTPS protocol?

The HTTPS protocol uses a combination of asymmetric and symmetric encryption to ensure security and performance.

• Asymmetric encryption is used during the connection establishment phase (TLS handshake). The client and server exchange public keys and create a shared secret (session key). This allows the secure transfer of the symmetric encryption key, even if the channel is being monitored.

• Symmetric encryption is used to encrypt the main traffic after the connection is established. It is faster than asymmetric encryption and suitable for large volumes of data.

Thus, asymmetric encryption provides secure key exchange, while symmetric encryption offers efficient data encryption during the session.