Why some cryptographic keys are much smaller than others

The text discusses the use of encryption schemes in SSL/TLS connections, specifically focusing on symmetric and asymmetric cryptography. It explains that a 128-bit symmetric key is more secure than a 2048-bit asymmetric key due to differences in their encryption methods. Symmetric keys are used for both enciphering and deciphering data, while asymmetric keys consist of two different keys - one for encryption and another for decryption. The text also highlights the importance of randomness in choosing cryptographic keys and provides recommendations on key lengths based on ECRYPT II reports. Additionally, it mentions that CloudFlare has implemented forward secrecy to enhance security by generating fresh public/private key pairs for each connection.