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GenerateSymmetricKey[]

randomly generates a SymmetricKey object suitable for use with cryptographic functions.

GenerateSymmetricKey["password"]

derives a SymmetricKey object from the password string given.

GenerateSymmetricKey[bytes]

generates a SymmetricKey object using the byte array or list of bytes directly as the key.

GenerateSymmetricKey[DerivedKey[…]]

generates a symmetric key object with a key given by the DerivedKey object.

GenerateSymmetricKey[opts]

randomly generates a symmetric key using the specified options.

Details and Options
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Methods  
Possible Issues  
See Also
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page

GenerateSymmetricKey

GenerateSymmetricKey[]

randomly generates a SymmetricKey object suitable for use with cryptographic functions.

GenerateSymmetricKey["password"]

derives a SymmetricKey object from the password string given.

GenerateSymmetricKey[bytes]

generates a SymmetricKey object using the byte array or list of bytes directly as the key.

GenerateSymmetricKey[DerivedKey[…]]

generates a symmetric key object with a key given by the DerivedKey object.

GenerateSymmetricKey[opts]

randomly generates a symmetric key using the specified options.

Details and Options

  • GenerateSymmetricKey[] uses a system-specific, high-entropy randomness source.
  • GenerateSymmetricKey has a Method option that specifies the cryptography method to use.
  • With Method->"cipher", default settings for the specified cipher are used.
  • If Method option is not provided, the default cipher is used. The current default cipher is "AES256".
  • Particular settings can be specified using Method->assoc, where the entries in the association assoc are:
  • "Cipher""AES256"cipher to use
    "KeySize"Automaticsize of key in bits
  • Supported ciphers, together with the default key size, include:
  • "Blowfish"256 bits
    "CAST5"256 bits
    "DES"64 bits
    "RC4"256 bits
    "IDEA"128 bits
    "AES128"128 bits
    "AES192"192 bits
    "AES256"256 bits
  • The following ciphers can use any key size that is a multiple of 8:
  • "RC4"
    "Blowfish"
    "CAST5"
  • GenerateSymmetricKey["password"] effectively uses GenerateDerivedKey to generate a key.
  • In GenerateSymmetricKey[bytes], bytes can be a ByteArray object or a list of integers between 0 and 255. The length of bytes must match the key size of the cipher used.

Examples

open all close all

Basic Examples  (1)

Generate a random symmetric key:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey[]

Use the key to encrypt:

Wolfram Language code: Encrypt[%, "Now is the time..."]
Wolfram Language code: Decrypt[%%, %]

Scope  (3)

Derive a symmetric key from a password:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey["my password"]
Wolfram Language code: SameQ[GenerateSymmetricKey["foo"], GenerateSymmetricKey["foo"]]
Wolfram Language code: SameQ[GenerateSymmetricKey["foo"], GenerateSymmetricKey["bar"]]

Methods  (2)

Generate a symmetric key appropriate for encryption using Blowfish:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey[Method -> <|"Cipher" -> "Blowfish"|>]

A simplified syntax:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey[Method -> "Blowfish"]

Generate a symmetric key with a key size of 512 bits:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey[Method -> <|"Cipher" -> "Blowfish", "KeySize" -> 512|>]

Possible Issues  (1)

The key size must be a multiple of 8:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey[Method -> <|"Cipher" -> "Blowfish", "KeySize" -> 500|>]

Only some ciphers allow a variable key size:

Wolfram Language code: GenerateSymmetricKey[Method -> <|"Cipher" -> "AES256", "KeySize" -> 512|>]
Wolfram Research (2015), GenerateSymmetricKey, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GenerateSymmetricKey.html (updated 2019).

Text

Wolfram Research (2015), GenerateSymmetricKey, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GenerateSymmetricKey.html (updated 2019).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2015. "GenerateSymmetricKey." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2019. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GenerateSymmetricKey.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2015). GenerateSymmetricKey. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GenerateSymmetricKey.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_generatesymmetrickey, author="Wolfram Research", title="{GenerateSymmetricKey}", year="2019", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GenerateSymmetricKey.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_generatesymmetrickey, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={GenerateSymmetricKey}, year={2019}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GenerateSymmetricKey.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}