Pretest finals Flashcards
What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric cryptography?
Symmetric Cryptography: Uses the same key for both encryption and decryption (e.g., AES).
Asymmetric Cryptography: Uses a pair of keys — a public key to encrypt and a private key to decrypt (e.g., RSA).
What is RSA encryption, and how does it work?
RSA: A type of asymmetric encryption that uses two keys, a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. It relies on the mathematical difficulty of factoring large prime numbers.
What is elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), and why is it considered more efficient than RSA?
ECC: Uses the mathematics of elliptic curves to create keys. It provides the same security as RSA with shorter key lengths, making it faster and more efficient, especially on mobile devices.
What is a hash function, and how is it used in cryptography?
Hash Function: Converts input data into a fixed-size hash value. It is used for data integrity, digital signatures, and password storage.
Explain what a digital signature is and how it works.
Digital Signature: A cryptographic mechanism to verify the authenticity of a message. The sender signs the message with their private key, and the recipient can verify it using the sender’s public key.
What is the purpose of public key infrastructure (PKI) in web security?
PKI: A framework for managing digital keys and certificates, enabling secure communications and authentication over the internet.
What is SSL/TLS, and how does it secure web communications?
SSL/TLS: Protocols that encrypt web traffic to ensure privacy, integrity, and authentication between web servers and browsers.
What is the role of a Certificate Authority (CA) in SSL/TLS?
CA: A trusted entity that issues digital certificates, verifying the identity of websites and enabling secure connections through SSL/TLS.
What is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and what are its key components?
PKI: A system for managing public-key encryption. Key components: Certificates, Certificate Authorities (CAs), Public and Private Keys, and Registration Authorities (RAs)
What is a cryptographic nonce, and why is it used?
Nonce: A number used once in cryptographic protocols to prevent replay attacks and ensure freshness of data.
What is the difference between a hash and a checksum?
Hash: A cryptographic function that produces a fixed-length string from input data, designed to be unique. Used for security and integrity.
Checksum: A simpler, non-cryptographic function for detecting errors in data. It’s not designed to be secure.
What is Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) in TLS, and why is it important?
PFS: Ensures that session keys are not compromised even if the server’s private key is compromised later. It’s important for long-term security.
What is a zero-knowledge proof, and how is it used in cryptography?
Zero-Knowledge Proof: A cryptographic method where one party proves to another that they know a value (like a password) without revealing the value itself. Used in privacy-preserving systems.
How does a Certificate Authority (CA) work within a PKI system?
CA Role: Issues and manages digital certificates to verify the identity of entities and ensure secure communication over networks.
What is the purpose of a digital certificate, and what information does it typically contain?
Digital Certificate: Verifies the identity of an entity (e.g., website). It contains the entity’s public key, the CA’s signature, and other identity-related information.
