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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Technology

Cryptography Knowledge Assessment Quiz

Sharpen Encryption Skills in This Quiz

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art depicting symbols related to Cryptography Knowledge Assessment quiz

Ready to test your understanding of encryption fundamentals? Start with this Cryptography Knowledge Quiz from our Knowledge Assessment Quiz collection, challenging you with practical questions on ciphers, hashing, and key management. It's perfect for students, IT professionals, or anyone keen to boost their security skills. Customize and adapt this free quiz in our editor to suit your learning goals, or explore more quizzes to expand your knowledge. Dive in now and make cryptography concepts click in your mind!

Which cipher uses the same key for encryption and decryption?
AES
RSA
Diffie-Hellman
ECC
AES is a symmetric cipher that uses the same secret key for both encryption and decryption. RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and ECC are asymmetric algorithms that use public/private key pairs.
What primary property does a cryptographic hash function provide?
Data integrity
Confidentiality
Secure key exchange
Non-repudiation
A hash function creates a fixed-size digest that detects any modification to the input, ensuring data integrity. It does not encrypt data for confidentiality or provide non-repudiation by itself.
Which algorithm uses a pair of public and private keys for encryption and decryption?
RSA
3DES
AES
RC4
RSA is an asymmetric algorithm that uses a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. AES, 3DES, and RC4 are symmetric algorithms using the same key for both operations.
A digital signature primarily ensures which of the following?
Authentication and non-repudiation
Data confidentiality
Faster encryption
Key exchange
Digital signatures verify the identity of the signer (authentication) and prevent the signer from denying their signature (non-repudiation). They do not encrypt data for confidentiality or perform key exchange.
Which of these is an example of a block cipher?
AES
RC4
SHA-256
Diffie-Hellman
AES is a block cipher that processes fixed-size blocks of plaintext. RC4 is a stream cipher, SHA-256 is a hash function, and Diffie-Hellman is a key exchange protocol.
Which mode of operation provides both confidentiality and integrity?
Galois/Counter Mode (GCM)
Electronic Codebook (ECB)
Cipher Block Chaining (CBC)
Output Feedback (OFB)
GCM combines counter mode encryption with a Galois field hash to provide confidentiality and built-in integrity verification. ECB does not provide integrity, and CBC and OFB only offer confidentiality without authentication.
In Public Key Infrastructure, what is the role of a Certificate Authority (CA)?
Issuing and digitally signing certificates
Generating symmetric session keys
Encrypting end-user data
Managing firewall rules
A CA is responsible for issuing and digitally signing X.509 certificates to bind a public key to an identity. It does not directly generate session keys, encrypt application data, or manage network security devices.
Which protocol is widely used for secure key exchange over an insecure channel?
Diffie-Hellman
MD5
AES
SHA-256
Diffie-Hellman allows two parties to agree on a shared secret over an insecure channel without revealing the secret itself. MD5 and SHA-256 are hash functions, and AES is a symmetric cipher.
What is a rainbow table primarily used for in cryptanalysis?
Precomputed hash reversal for password cracking
Encrypting passwords securely
Generating prime numbers
Signing digital certificates
A rainbow table contains precomputed mappings of plaintext passwords to their hash values, enabling faster lookup in hash cracking attacks. It is not used for secure encryption, prime generation, or certificate signing.
Which attack involves capturing and retransmitting valid data to impersonate a user?
Replay attack
Phishing attack
Man-in-the-middle attack
Brute-force attack
A replay attack involves capturing legitimate messages and replaying them to trick a system into granting unauthorized access. Phishing uses social engineering, man-in-the-middle intercepts and alters messages, and brute force tries all key combinations.
What describes a hybrid cryptosystem?
Combines asymmetric key exchange with symmetric data encryption
Uses only symmetric encryption
Uses only asymmetric encryption
Employs only hashing functions
A hybrid cryptosystem uses asymmetric methods to exchange a symmetric session key and then uses fast symmetric encryption for data transfer. Pure symmetric or asymmetric systems do not mix both techniques.
In symmetric encryption, what does a longer key length primarily affect?
Security strength
Data integrity
Transmission speed
Scalability
A longer key increases the difficulty of brute-force attacks, enhancing security strength. It does not directly influence data integrity, transmission speed, or the system's scalability.
Which hash function is considered broken due to collision vulnerabilities?
MD5
SHA-256
SHA-3
BLAKE2
MD5 has known collision vulnerabilities making it insecure for modern use. SHA-256, SHA-3, and BLAKE2 are currently considered secure against practical collision attacks.
What is the primary purpose of HMAC?
Ensuring data integrity and authenticity
Encrypting data for confidentiality
Exchanging keys securely
Generating random numbers
HMAC uses a hash function combined with a secret key to verify both data integrity and authenticity. It does not encrypt data, facilitate key exchange, or generate randomness.
An X.509 certificate typically contains which of the following elements?
Public key
Private key
Session key
Initialization vector
An X.509 certificate binds a public key to an identity and is digitally signed by a CA. The private key remains secret with the owner, and session keys or IVs are not included in the certificate.
Which mathematical problem underlies the security of RSA?
Integer factorization
Discrete logarithm
Elliptic curve discrete log
Modular square roots
RSA security relies on the difficulty of factoring large composite integers. Discrete logarithm and elliptic curve problems underpin different asymmetric algorithms, and modular square roots are not the primary hard problem for RSA.
What is the main weakness of ECB mode encryption?
Reveals patterns because identical plaintext blocks give identical ciphertext
Requires long initialization vectors
Is computationally slower than all other modes
Cannot be parallelized
ECB mode encrypts identical plaintext blocks to identical ciphertext blocks, exposing patterns in the data. It does not inherently require long IVs, is relatively fast, and can be parallelized.
How does a Certificate Revocation List (CRL) function in PKI?
Lists certificates that have been revoked and should no longer be trusted
Contains all issued certificates for auditing
Acts as a chain of trust for certificate validation
Stores encrypted private keys
A CRL is maintained by a CA to list certificates that have been revoked before their expiration date. It does not include all issued certificates, form the chain of trust, or store private keys.
What cryptanalysis technique uses known plaintext-ciphertext pairs to recover the key?
Known plaintext attack
Ciphertext-only attack
Chosen ciphertext attack
Side-channel attack
A known plaintext attack leverages instances where the attacker knows both the plaintext and corresponding ciphertext to deduce the key. Ciphertext-only attacks assume no known plaintext, chosen-ciphertext attacks require decryption oracles, and side-channel uses physical leakages.
Which standard defines the format of digital certificates used to bind public keys to identities?
X.509
PGP
SSL
S/MIME
X.509 is the widely adopted ITU-T standard for digital certificates in PKI. PGP uses its own certificate format, SSL refers to a protocol, and S/MIME is a messaging standard that uses X.509 rather than defining its own certificate format.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse classic ciphers and encryption algorithms
  2. Identify symmetric versus asymmetric cryptography methods
  3. Apply hashing and digital signature concepts accurately
  4. Evaluate key management and distribution strategies
  5. Demonstrate understanding of public-key infrastructure components
  6. Master basic cryptanalysis techniques and threats

Cheat Sheet

  1. Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Encryption - Imagine sending a secret message with one magic key (symmetric) versus a pair of magical keys (asymmetric): one public to lock and one private to unlock. Symmetric is super fast but needs a safe way to share the key, while asymmetric solves that sharing problem at the cost of some speed. Learn more on Wikipedia
  2. Classic Ciphers - Travel back in time with Caesar's shift and the Vigenère square to see how encryption started as playful letter swaps. These historic methods lay the groundwork for understanding why modern systems are so much stronger. Dive into classic ciphers
  3. Modern Encryption Algorithms - Meet AES and RSA, the heroes of today's secure communications: AES is the speedy symmetric champion, and RSA is the public-key powerhouse. Understanding their roles helps you pick the right tool for protecting data. Explore modern algorithms
  4. Hashing - Hash functions are like magical fingerprint machines: they turn any data into a fixed-length code that instantly shows if anything's been tampered with. You can't reverse a hash, making it perfect for checking integrity without revealing the original data. Find out about hashing
  5. Digital Signatures - Digital signatures are your online autograph to prove a message really came from you and wasn't altered on the way. They combine hashing with asymmetric keys to lock in authenticity and prevent denial. Understand digital signatures
  6. Key Management Strategies - Good key management is like a high-tech treasure map: it covers generation, storage, sharing, and destruction of keys so they never fall into the wrong hands. Sloppy handling is the weakest link in any secure system. Master key management
  7. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) - PKI is the backstage crew that issues, verifies, and revokes digital certificates, making sure every public key you use is legit. It's the trust network that powers secure web browsing and email signing. Discover PKI basics
  8. Cryptanalysis Techniques - Cryptanalysis is the art of code-breaking - testing ciphers for weak spots and learning how to reinforce them. By thinking like an attacker, you gain insight into building rock-solid encryption. Get into cryptanalysis
  9. Importance of Key Length - Longer keys mean more combinations and a tougher time for anyone trying brute-force attacks. It's a simple but powerful way to boost your defenses - just mind the performance trade-offs. Why key length matters
  10. Cryptographic Standards - Staying current with NIST, ISO, and other standards ensures you're using vetted, peer-reviewed methods that keep pace with new threats. Always update your toolkit to stay one step ahead. Review modern standards
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