A value that must be fed into the algorithm used to decode an encrypted message to reproduce the original plain text. Some encryption schemes use the same (secret) key to encrypt and decrypt a message, but public key encryption uses a "private" (secret) key and a "public" key that is known by all parties.
key management
The process of managing the creation and distribution of keys in an encryption framework. This was a major problem with early deployments of static WEP-based wireless LANs because every access point and client had to have the keys manually configured. Newer EAP mechanisms introduce key management functionality.
