SSCP Certification SSCP Cryptography Fundamentals 3

Question 1

Which encryption mode of operation turns a block cipher into a stream cipher by XORing plaintext with an encrypted counter value?

Accepted Answer

CTR (Counter)

Answer

CTR mode generates a keystream by encrypting sequential counter values and XORing it with plaintext, effectively converting a block cipher into a stream cipher.

Question 2

What vulnerability does the Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode of operation have?

Accepted Answer

Identical plaintext blocks produce identical ciphertext blocks, leaking patterns

Answer

ECB mode encrypts each block independently, so identical plaintext blocks always produce identical ciphertext blocks, revealing data patterns — famously illustrated by the 'ECB penguin' example.

Question 3

In the context of PKI, what is the role of a Certificate Revocation List (CRL)?

Accepted Answer

It contains certificates that have been revoked before their expiration date

Answer

A CRL is a list published by a Certificate Authority containing serial numbers of certificates that have been revoked before their expiration date, allowing relying parties to check certificate validity.

Question 4

Which key exchange algorithm enables two parties to establish a shared secret over an insecure channel without prior shared secrets?

Accepted Answer

Diffie-Hellman key exchange

Answer

Diffie-Hellman key exchange allows two parties to independently compute the same shared secret over an insecure channel without transmitting the secret itself.

Question 5

What is the primary security concern with using MD5 for cryptographic hashing?

Accepted Answer

It produces hash collisions that can be crafted by attackers

Answer

MD5 is cryptographically broken because practical collision attacks exist, allowing attackers to create two different inputs with the same hash, undermining integrity guarantees.

SSCP Certification Practice Test

SSCP Certification Practice Test

SSCP Certification SSCP Cryptography Fundamentals 3