SSCA Cryptography & PKI

Question 1

Which cryptographic algorithm uses the same key for both encryption and decryption?

Accepted Answer

AES

Answer

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric algorithm, meaning it uses the same secret key for both encrypting and decrypting data.

Question 2

What is the primary role of a Certificate Authority (CA) in a PKI infrastructure?

Accepted Answer

Issuing and digitally signing digital certificates to validate identities

Answer

A Certificate Authority issues and signs digital certificates, binding a public key to an entity's identity, which is the foundational trust anchor in PKI.

Question 3

Which property of a cryptographic hash function ensures that two different inputs cannot produce the same hash output?

Accepted Answer

Collision resistance

Answer

Collision resistance means it is computationally infeasible to find two distinct inputs that produce the same hash digest, preventing forgery of signed data.

Question 4

In asymmetric cryptography, which key is used to verify a digital signature?

Accepted Answer

The signer's public key

Answer

A digital signature is created with the signer's private key and verified using the corresponding public key, confirming authenticity and non-repudiation.

Question 5

What does the X.509 standard define?

Accepted Answer

The format and fields of digital certificates used in PKI

Answer

X.509 is the ITU-T standard that specifies the format of public key certificates, including fields such as subject, issuer, validity period, and public key.

SSCA - Systems Security Certified Administrator Practice Test

SSCA - Systems Security Certified Administrator Practice Test

SSCA Cryptography & PKI