Cryptography

Study of techniques for secure communication.

Cryptography involves the practice and study of techniques for secure communication between parties, preventing unauthorized access and fraudulent alterations to sensitive information.

5 minutes 5 Questions

Concepts covered: Digital Signatures, Block Cipher, Symmetric Encryption, Stream Cipher, Hash Functions, Cryptographic Protocols, Cryptanalysis and Security, Asymmetric Encryption, Public Key Infrastructure, Cryptographic Key Management

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CompTIA Security+ - Cryptography Example Questions

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Question 1

A software development company wants to ensure the integrity of their applications. They want to use Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to digitally sign their software. Which key should the software development company use to sign the software packages?

The recipient's public key Their own private key The recipient's private key Their own public key

Correct Answer: Their own private key

To ensure the integrity and authenticity of their applications, the software development company should use their own private key to sign the software packages. This allows recipients to verify the digital signature using the company's public key, ensuring that the software came from the intended sender and has not been tampered with.

Question 2

As a security consultant, you are auditing an organization's cryptographic policies. The organization is using a proprietary encryption algorithm to exchange messages. What type of cryptographic risk does the organization expose itself to?

Security through obscurity Lack of non-repudiation Side-channel attacks Key management issues

Correct Answer: Security through obscurity

The organization is using a proprietary or obscure algorithm, which relies on the secrecy of the algorithm for security. This is known as security through obscurity. This approach is not considered reliable, as once the algorithm is exposed, its security can be easily compromised.

Question 3

You are a security analyst tasked with monitoring a company's communication to detect any misuse of encryption methods. An attacker has successfully decrypted the cipher-text which was encrypted with a symmetric cryptographic key. What type of cryptanalysis attack could have taken place?

Chosen-plaintext attack Ciphertext-only attack Brute force attack Known-plaintext attack

Correct Answer: Known-plaintext attack

In a known-plaintext attack, the attacker has access to both the plaintext and the corresponding ciphertext. By analyzing how the plaintext is encrypted, the attacker can determine the key and decrypt other ciphertexts encrypted with the same key.

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