noun
private key; secret key
In cryptography, the key kept secret by the owner, used for decryption or signing. Contrasts with 公開鍵 (public key).
秘密鍵は絶対に他人に渡してはいけません。
You must never give your private key to anyone else.
このシステムでは、秘密鍵でデータを復号します。
In this system, data is decrypted with the private key.
公開鍵 is the public key, which can be shared openly, while 秘密鍵 is the private key that must be kept secret.
Compound of 秘密 (secret) and 鍵 (key), directly corresponding to the English term 'private key' in cryptography.