Question 1

What is cryptography?

Accepted Answer

The practice of transforming information so that it is secure and cannot be understood by unauthorized persons.

Question 2

What is encryption? What are the 3 different types of encryption text?

Accepted Answer

The process of changing plaintext into ciphertext. (reverse process is decryption) Plaintext: Unencrypted data that is input for encryption or is the output of decryption Ciphertext: scrambled and unreadable output of encryption. Unencrypted data that is not intended to be encrypted

Question 3

List some examples of different categories of ciphers:

Accepted Answer

Substitution cipher, XOR cipher

Question 4

What are some of the protections that cryptography can provide? (hint 5)

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality Integrity Authentication Nonrepudiation: Proving that a user performed an action Obfuscation: Making something obscure or unclear

Question 5

What are the three states that data can be in that cryptography provides protection to?

Accepted Answer

1. Data in processing (data in use): ex printing or using data 2. Data in transit (data in motion): ex email sent across internet 3. Data at rest: stored on electronic media

Question 6

What is a resource vs security constraint?

Accepted Answer

A limitation in providing strong cryptography due to the “tug-of-war” between the available resources (time and energy) and the security provided by cryptography. Ideally crpytography should have low latency

Question 7

Cryptography must have ____________, or the ability to quickly recover from these constraints.

Accepted Answer

High resilience

Question 8

What is lightweight cryptography?

Accepted Answer

A category of cryptography that has fewer features and is less robust than normal cryptography.

Question 9

Name two different cipher variations that can sometimes be used in cryptography:

Accepted Answer

1. Stream cipher: An algorithm that takes one character and replaces it with one character 2. Block cipher: A cipher that manipulates an entire block of plaintext at one time. (Whereas a stream cipher works on one character at a time, a block cipher manipulates an entire block of plaintext at one time.)

Question 10

What is a hash algorithm?

Accepted Answer

An algorithm that creates a unique digital fingerprint. Intended to be a one-way cipher that can't be reversed

Question 11

What are the 4 characteristics that make a hashing algorithm secure?

Accepted Answer

Fixed size Unique Original Secure

Question 12

List 3 common hash algorithms:

Accepted Answer

Message Digest (MD) Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) RIPEMD . RIPEMD stands for RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest

Question 13

What are symmetric cryptographic algorithms?

Accepted Answer

Encryption that uses a single key to encrypt and decrypt a message. Key must be kept private (also called private key cryptography)

Question 14

List some common symmetric cryptographic algorithms:

Accepted Answer

Data encryption standard (DES): Adopted by US Gov Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES): Designed to replace DES Advanced Encryption Standard (AES): symmetric algorithm that performs three steps on every block (128 bits) of plaintext. Rivest Cipher (RC): family of six algorithms Blowfish: block cipher algorithm that operates on 64-bit blocks and can have a key length from 32 to 448 bits.

Question 15

What is the primary weakness of symmetric encryption algorithms?

Accepted Answer

distributing and maintaining a secure single key among multiple users, who are often scattered geographically, poses significant challenges.

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Module 6 Flashcards

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