What is the difference between 1024- and 2048-bit key lengths?

These key lengths refer to the strength of the private key. You can think of it as the size of the cypher being used to encode your messages. Obviously, 2048-bit private keys are exponentially more secure than 1024-bit ones and are the new standard across the industry and are required during the generation process.

Related posts:

What is the difference between 128- and 256-bit security? What is the difference between SHA-1 and SHA-2? What should I do with my private key? What is a private key used for?