An ephemeral key is a temporary cryptographic key used for a short period of time. Its primary purpose is to enhance security during transactions or communications by ensuring that each session has a unique identifier.Once a specific session or transaction is completed, the ephemeral key is discarded and never reused. This practice minimizes the risk of key compromise since even if an ephemeral key is intercepted, it can only be used for a limited time and for a specific purpose.Ephemeral keys are often utilized in protocols like Diffie-Hellman for secure key exchange. In this case, both parties generate their keys for the session, allowing them to establish a shared secret without permanently storing any key that could be vulnerable to attacks.By using ephemeral keys, systems can bolster their overall security, as the use of temporary keys reduces the chances of long-term exposure and makes it significantly harder for malicious actors to gain access to sensitive data.