CSS CSS Cryptography & Data Protection

Question 1

Which encryption mode of AES is considered most secure for bulk data encryption due to its use of an initialization vector and chaining?

Accepted Answer

AES-CBC (Cipher Block Chaining)

Answer

AES-ECB (Electronic Codebook)

Answer

AES-OFB without IV

Answer

DES-CBC

Question 2

What is the primary advantage of asymmetric encryption over symmetric encryption?

Accepted Answer

It eliminates the need to securely share a secret key between parties

Answer

It is faster than symmetric encryption

Answer

It requires less computational power

Answer

It uses shorter key lengths for equivalent security

Question 3

What is a digital signature's primary function in data security?

Accepted Answer

Verifies the authenticity and integrity of a message or document

Answer

Encrypts data in transit

Answer

Generates a symmetric session key

Answer

Compresses data for transmission

Question 4

Which hashing algorithm is currently recommended by NIST for secure cryptographic applications?

Accepted Answer

SHA-256

Answer

MD5

Answer

SHA-1

Answer

CRC32

Question 5

What is the purpose of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in enterprise environments?

Accepted Answer

Manages the lifecycle of digital certificates to enable trusted encrypted communications

Answer

Stores plaintext passwords securely

Answer

Provides network access control

Answer

Monitors endpoint behavior

Question 6

What does 'perfect forward secrecy' (PFS) ensure in TLS connections?

Accepted Answer

Compromise of the server's private key does not expose past session keys

Answer

All traffic is encrypted with the same session key indefinitely

Answer

Certificates are automatically renewed before expiry

Answer

Sessions are never terminated by the server