Final answer:
The statement is true. Asymmetric key systems indeed utilize a public key and a private key to enable secure communication by encrypting information with the public key, which only the associated private key can decrypt.
Step-by-step explanation:
True or false: Asymmetric key systems use a public key and a private key.
This statement is true. Asymmetric key cryptography, also known as public-key cryptography, is a cryptographic system that uses pairs of keys. Each pair consists of a public key which may be disseminated widely, and a private key which must be kept secret. The essential principle behind asymmetric key systems is that it should be computationally infeasible to determine the private key based on the public key.
In practical terms, the public key is used to encrypt information that only the private key can decrypt. This is commonly used in various security protocols on the internet, such as SSL/TLS for secure web browsing. Such a key system enables secure, confidential communication between two parties over an insecure channel without the need to share a secret key beforehand.