---
type: concept
title: EC Keys
tags: [cryptography, pki, elliptic-curve]
related: [rsa-keys, serverzertifikate, openssl]
created: 2026-06-30
updated: 2026-06-30
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_allgemein_dfn_pki_zertifikate_serverzertifikate_ope.md"]
---

# EC Keys

**EC Keys** (Elliptic Curve keys) are a modern standard for public-key cryptography used in the generation of digital certificates.

## Usage at Universität Greifswald
The Universitätsrechenzentrum (URZ) recommends the use of EC keys for general server certificates due to their efficiency and security. The specific recommended curve is `secp384r1`.

## Limitations
EC keys are not compatible with services that require **Key Encipherment**. For such specific requirements, users must fall back to [[rsa-keys]].
