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SRSI_2 > Security Engineering and Architecture > Flashcards

Security Engineering and Architecture Flashcards

1
Q

What is the primary purpose of cryptography in communications networks?

A. To speed up data transfer rates.
B. To protect data from interception, manipulation, and falsification.
C. To compress data for better storage.
D. To analyze network traffic for potential attacks.

A

B

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2
Q

What are the two types of information cryptography aims to protect?

A. Data in memory and in transit.
B. Data at rest and in transit.
C. Data in use and in archives.
D. Data in transit and in the cloud.

A

B

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3
Q

What is Caesar’s Cipher primarily known for?

A. Being the first mechanical encryption device.
B. Using substitution to encrypt text by shifting letters.
C. Encrypting messages using random keypads.
D. Being an unbreakable encryption method.

A

B

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4
Q

What does the term ‘Cryptology’ encompass?

A. Cryptanalysis and Cryptography.
B. Cryptography and Encoding.
C. Cryptanalysis and Data Compression.
D. Cryptography and Network Protocols.

A

A

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5
Q

What characterizes symmetric key cryptographic systems?

A. Use of two keys, one for encryption and one for decryption.
B. Encryption and decryption keys are the same or can be derived from each other.
C. Keys are generated randomly for each transaction.
D. It only works with block cipher algorithms.

A

B

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6
Q

Which of the following is an example of a symmetric key algorithm?

A. RSA
B. Diffie-Hellman
C. DES
D. ElGamal

A

C

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7
Q

What is the main advantage of public-key cryptography?

A. Faster encryption processes.
B. Requires only one key for secure communication.
C. Solves the problem of secure key distribution.
D. Works exclusively with block ciphers.

A

C

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8
Q

Which algorithm is an example of public-key cryptography?

A. AES
B. RSA
C. DES
D. MD5

A

B

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9
Q

What is the primary purpose of a hash function?

A. To encrypt messages securely.
B. To produce fixed-length outputs from variable-length inputs.
C. To generate public-private key pairs.
D. To decode cipher texts.

A

B

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10
Q

Which of the following is considered an obsolete hash function?

A. SHA-3
B. SHA-256
C. MD5
D. Whirlpool

A

C

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11
Q

What is a Message Authentication Code (MAC) used for?

A. Encrypting and decrypting data.
B. Verifying the origin and integrity of a message.
C. Compressing data for transmission.
D. Storing user passwords.

A

B

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12
Q

Which method combines encryption and MAC production for security?

A. Encrypt-then-MAC
B. Hash-then-Encrypt
C. Compress-and-Encrypt
D. Encrypt-and-Hash

A

A

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13
Q

What is a key function of a digital signature?

A. Compressing the data for storage.
B. Guaranteeing data integrity and authentication.
C. Encrypting data with public keys.
D. Generating symmetric keys for communication.

A

B

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14
Q

Which algorithm is commonly used for digital signatures?

A. DSS
B. AES
C. MD5
D. DES

A

A

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15
Q

What is the primary role of a digital certificate?

A. Encrypting messages in transit.
B. Verifying the identity of the certificate holder.
C. Compressing large files for storage.
D. Managing session keys during communication.

A

B

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16
Q

Which standard is most commonly used for digital certificates?

A. X.509
B. PKCS #7
C. AES
D. ECC

A

A

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17
Q

What is the primary characteristic of a brute force attack?

A. Exploiting weaknesses in cryptographic algorithms.
B. Trying all possible keys until the correct one is found.
C. Using statistical analysis to decipher ciphertext.
D. Intercepting messages in transit.

A

B

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18
Q

What does a ‘Man-in-the-Middle’ attack typically exploit?

A. Symmetric key weaknesses.
B. Vulnerabilities in public-key cryptosystems during key exchange.
C. Poor implementation of block ciphers.
D. Errors in hash function outputs.

A

B

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19
Q

What is the primary difference between stream ciphers and block ciphers?

A. Stream ciphers encrypt data bit by bit, while block ciphers encrypt data in fixed-sized blocks.
B. Stream ciphers are slower than block ciphers.
C. Stream ciphers use asymmetric keys, while block ciphers use symmetric keys.
D. Stream ciphers cannot handle large amounts of data.

A

A

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20
Q

Which of the following is an example of a block cipher?

A. AES
B. RC4
C. MD5
D. SHA-3

A

A

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21
Q

What is the purpose of padding in block cipher encryption?

A. To enhance the security of the encryption algorithm.
B. To ensure the plaintext matches the required block size.
C. To prevent the ciphertext from being intercepted.
D. To improve the speed of encryption.

A

B

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22
Q

What mathematical problem is the RSA algorithm based on?

A. Discrete logarithms.
B. Factorization of large prime numbers.
C. Matrix multiplication.
D. XOR operations.

A

B

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23
Q

In RSA encryption, what is the relationship between the public and private keys?

A. They are identical.
B. The public key is derived from the private key.
C. The private key is generated independently of the public key.
D. They are both generated from a hash function.

A

B

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24
Q

What is a significant disadvantage of public-key cryptography compared to symmetric key cryptography?

A. Requires less computational power.
B. Limited key length options.
C. Slower encryption and decryption processes.
D. Vulnerable to brute force attacks.

A

C

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25
Q

What is the goal of a dictionary attack?

A. To guess passwords using common words or phrases.
B. To encrypt messages using a predefined dictionary.
C. To analyze hash functions for vulnerabilities.
D. To intercept messages during transmission.

A

A

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26
Q

Which type of attack targets the physical implementation of cryptographic systems?

A. Timing attacks.
B. Side-channel attacks.
C. Chosen plaintext attacks.
D. Brute force attacks.

A

B

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27
Q

What is a common characteristic of a birthday attack?

A. It uses statistical analysis to find hash collisions.
B. It targets symmetric key algorithms.
C. It exploits vulnerabilities in digital certificates.
D. It uses brute force techniques to guess keys.

A

A

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28
Q

What is the primary purpose of an X.509 certificate?

A. To compress data for faster transmission.
B. To encrypt email communications.
C. To provide identification and authentication.
D. To generate private keys for users.

A

C

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29
Q

What is a Certificate Authority (CA) responsible for?

A. Encrypting sensitive data.
B. Issuing and managing digital certificates.
C. Generating public and private key pairs.
D. Storing cryptographic keys.

A

B

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30
Q

Which of the following is a characteristic of a digital certificate?

A. Contains a symmetric key for encryption.
B. Can only be used for email encryption.
C. Provides information about the certificate holder and issuer.
D. Requires a physical token for validation.

A

C

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31
Q

What is the primary goal of a security model?

A. To provide a theoretical framework for understanding security policies.
B. To encrypt sensitive information.
C. To analyze cryptographic algorithms.
D. To prevent brute force attacks.

A

A

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32
Q

Which of the following is an example of a security model?

A. Bell-LaPadula Model.
B. RSA Algorithm.
C. Elliptic Curve Cryptography.
D. Caesar Cipher.

A

A

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33
Q

What principle emphasizes designing systems to operate securely even in the presence of failures?

A. Least Privilege.
B. Fail-Safe Defaults.
C. Defense in Depth.
D. Separation of Duties.

A

B

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34
Q

Which cryptographic concept is essential for verifying a digital signature?

A. Symmetric key exchange.
B. Hash function integrity.
C. Block cipher processing.
D. Brute force attack mitigation.

A

B

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35
Q

What role does the private key play in a digital signature?

A. It encrypts the data being signed.
B. It verifies the integrity of the signature.
C. It generates the digital signature.
D. It compresses the plaintext for transmission.

A

C

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36
Q

Which application commonly uses digital signatures for security?

A. Email authentication.
B. Data compression.
C. Network address translation.
D. Symmetric key exchange.

A

A

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37
Q

What is the main function of a cryptographic protocol?

A. To perform encryption only.
B. To define procedures for secure communication.
C. To generate random keys.
D. To replace symmetric encryption with asymmetric encryption.

A

B

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38
Q

Which cryptographic protocol is used for secure web communications?

A. AES
B. RSA
C. TLS
D. MD5

A

C

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39
Q

What does the Diffie-Hellman protocol primarily achieve?

A. Data encryption.
B. Key agreement between parties.
C. Digital signature verification.
D. Hash-based message authentication.

A

B

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40
Q

What is the purpose of access control in an information system?

A. To encrypt all user data.
B. To restrict unauthorized access to resources.
C. To compress files for better storage.
D. To manage network bandwidth efficiently.

A

B

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41
Q

Which of the following ensures data confidentiality in an information system?

A. Authentication.
B. Encryption.
C. Hashing.
D. Backup mechanisms.

A

B

42
Q

What is the main goal of non-repudiation in security systems?

A. Prevent unauthorized data access.
B. Ensure that a party cannot deny actions taken.
C. Detect and respond to system breaches.
D. Restrict data visibility to authorized personnel.

A

B

43
Q

Which cryptographic algorithm is considered the standard for modern encryption?

A. DES
B. AES
C. RC4
D. SHA-256

A

B

44
Q

What is the primary benefit of elliptic curve cryptography (ECC)?

A. Faster key generation.
B. Smaller key sizes with equivalent security.
C. Compatibility with older cryptographic systems.
D. Elimination of hash collisions.

A

B

45
Q

What is the primary function of a Feistel network in cryptographic algorithms?

A. Key generation.
B. Data compression.
C. Reversible block transformations.
D. Authentication of digital signatures.

A

C

46
Q

Which property of a hash function ensures that two different inputs do not produce the same hash value?

A. Collision resistance.
B. Key diversity.
C. Stream encryption.
D. Modular arithmetic.

A

A

47
Q

What is the output size of SHA-256?

A. 128 bits.
B. 160 bits.
C. 256 bits.
D. 512 bits.

A

C

48
Q

What is the primary purpose of a cryptographic hash function in digital signatures?

A. To encrypt the signature.
B. To generate a fixed-length digest for verification.
C. To generate symmetric keys.
D. To compress the plaintext.

A

B

49
Q

What is the main goal of cryptanalysis?

A. To enhance the efficiency of encryption algorithms.
B. To discover weaknesses in cryptographic algorithms.
C. To create unbreakable ciphers.
D. To compress encrypted messages for faster transmission.

A

B

50
Q

What type of attack involves analyzing the ciphertext to find patterns?

A. Brute force attack.
B. Ciphertext-only attack.
C. Timing attack.
D. Side-channel attack.

A

B

51
Q

Which cryptanalytic method involves using both plaintext and its corresponding ciphertext?

A. Ciphertext-only attack.
B. Known-plaintext attack.
C. Chosen-plaintext attack.
D. Side-channel attack.

A

B

52
Q

What does the acronym CSR stand for in the context of digital certificates?

A. Certificate Signature Request.
B. Certificate Signing Request.
C. Certificate Secure Repository.
D. Certificate Safety Regulation.

A

B

53
Q

What is the function of a Certificate Revocation List (CRL)?

A. To update public keys.
B. To list expired certificates.
C. To identify revoked digital certificates.
D. To store encryption keys securely.

A

C

54
Q

Which encoding rule is commonly used for digital certificates in the X.509 standard?

A. ASN.1
B. BER
C. DER
D. All of the above.

A

D

55
Q

What is the main drawback of RSA encryption?

A. It is incompatible with modern hardware.
B. It requires very short key lengths.
C. It is computationally intensive.
D. It cannot be used for digital signatures.

A

C

56
Q

Which of the following algorithms uses elliptic curve mathematics?

A. AES
B. RC5
C. ECC
D. DES

A

C

57
Q

What problem does Diffie-Hellman primarily address?

A. Encrypting large files efficiently.
B. Sharing secret keys securely over a public channel.
C. Compressing encrypted data for transmission.
D. Generating hash functions for data integrity.

A

B

58
Q

Which type of attack exploits the time taken by a system to perform computations?

A. Side-channel attack.
B. Timing attack.
C. Fault analysis attack.
D. Man-in-the-middle attack.

A

B

59
Q

What is a key characteristic of a brute force attack?

A. It uses statistical methods to analyze ciphertext.
B. It systematically tries all possible keys.
C. It relies on social engineering techniques.
D. It manipulates cryptographic protocols.

A

B

60
Q

What makes chosen-plaintext attacks particularly effective against some encryption algorithms?

A. They exploit key exchange protocols.
B. They provide the attacker with both plaintext and its corresponding ciphertext.
C. They rely on brute force techniques.
D. They analyze timing patterns in decryption processes.

A

B

61
Q

What ensures data has not been altered during transmission?

A. Confidentiality.
B. Authentication.
C. Integrity.
D. Non-repudiation.

A

C

62
Q

What is the primary function of a Message Authentication Code (MAC)?

A. To encrypt data.
B. To verify the origin and integrity of a message.
C. To compress data for faster transfer.
D. To generate cryptographic keys.

A

B

63
Q

Which of the following methods is considered the most secure for combining encryption and MAC?

A. Encrypt-then-MAC.
B. Encrypt-and-MAC.
C. MAC-then-Encrypt.
D. Hash-and-MAC.

A

A

64
Q

What is the key size range for AES?

A. 64, 128, and 256 bits.
B. 128, 192, and 256 bits.
C. 128, 160, and 256 bits.
D. 192, 256, and 512 bits.

A

B

65
Q

What is the primary design principle behind the Feistel network?

A. Simplify encryption by removing keys.
B. Enable encryption and decryption using the same algorithm.
C. Compress plaintext for faster transmission.
D. Generate random keys for symmetric encryption.

A

B

66
Q

Which of the following is a mode of operation for block ciphers?

A. RSA.
B. CBC (Cipher Block Chaining).
C. SHA-256.
D. ROT13.

A

B

67
Q

Which protocol is commonly used for secure email communication?

A. HTTPS
B. TLS
C. S/MIME
D. SSH

A

C

68
Q

What is the primary feature of the HTTPS protocol?

A. Enables secure file transfer between systems.
B. Encrypts communication over a web connection.
C. Provides public key infrastructure for email.
D. Compresses web data for faster browsing.

A

B

69
Q

Which component of cryptographic protocols ensures confidentiality?

A. Hash functions.
B. Encryption algorithms.
C. Authentication keys.
D. Digital certificates.

A

B

70
Q

What is the main function of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?

A. To encrypt and decrypt data using symmetric keys.
B. To manage and distribute digital certificates.
C. To compress files for transmission.
D. To hash data for integrity checks.

A

B

71
Q

Which entity in a PKI issues and manages digital certificates?

A. Certificate Authority (CA).
B. Registration Authority (RA).
C. Cryptographic Token.
D. Key Management Service (KMS).

A

A

72
Q

What is a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) used for in PKI?

A. To validate the digital signature of a message.
B. To request a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority.
C. To revoke a compromised certificate.
D. To encrypt data for secure transmission.

A

B

73
Q

Which attack focuses on exploiting repeated patterns in ciphertext?

A. Man-in-the-Middle.
B. Ciphertext-only attack.
C. Known-plaintext attack.
D. Birthday attack.

A

B

74
Q

What type of attack relies on social engineering to gain cryptographic keys?

A. Side-channel attack.
B. Chosen-ciphertext attack.
C. Social engineering attack.
D. Brute force attack.

A

C

75
Q

Which attack exploits the predictable nature of hash collisions?

A. Timing attack.
B. Fault analysis attack.
C. Birthday attack.
D. Ciphertext-only attack.

A

C

76
Q

Which of the following is a type of digital certificate?

A. Identity certificate.
B. Hash certificate.
C. Encryption token.
D. Key validation token.

A

A

77
Q

What mechanism is used to revoke a digital certificate?

A. Certificate Hash Key.
B. Certificate Revocation List (CRL).
C. Public Key Register.
D. Digital Signature Authentication.

A

B

78
Q

Which format is commonly used for encoding X.509 certificates?

A. PEM.
B. DER.
C. BER.
D. All of the above.

A

D

79
Q

What is the principle of ‘Least Privilege’ in secure design?

A. Users should have no access to system resources.
B. Users should only have access necessary for their tasks.
C. Users should always have administrative privileges.
D. Users should only access public resources.

A

B

80
Q

Which principle emphasizes designing systems to assume breaches may occur?

A. Defense in Depth.
B. Fail-Safe Defaults.
C. Separation of Duties.
D. Zero Trust Architecture.

A

D

81
Q

What does ‘Fail-Safe Defaults’ ensure in security design?

A. The system defaults to deny access unless explicitly allowed.
B. The system automatically encrypts all data by default.
C. The system allows all users to access by default.
D. The system optimizes for speed over security.

A

A

82
Q

Which standard specifies the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)?

A. FIPS 197.
B. ISO 27001.
C. PKCS #5.
D. X.509.

A

A

83
Q

Which of the following is a modern standard for digital signatures?

A. DSS.
B. MD5.
C. RC4.
D. XOR.

A

A

84
Q

What is the output size of SHA-512?

A. 256 bits.
B. 128 bits.
C. 512 bits.
D. 1024 bits.

A

C

85
Q

What is the main advantage of using elliptic curve cryptography (ECC)?

A. Requires smaller key sizes for equivalent security.
B. Faster than all symmetric cryptography algorithms.
C. Eliminates the need for digital certificates.
D. Compatible with outdated cryptographic systems.

A

A

86
Q

What is the role of a Registration Authority (RA) in PKI?

A. To issue public keys directly to users.
B. To verify user identity before issuing a certificate.
C. To store revoked certificates securely.
D. To compress certificates for easy transmission.

A

B

87
Q

Which block cipher algorithm replaced DES as a secure standard?

A. Blowfish.
B. AES.
C. RC4.
D. IDEA.

A

B

88
Q

What cryptographic method ensures both confidentiality and integrity?

A. Encrypt-then-MAC.
B. Hash-then-Encrypt.
C. MAC-and-Hash.
D. Compress-then-Encrypt.

A

A

89
Q

Which feature of digital certificates ensures their authenticity?

A. Digital signature of the issuing authority.
B. The use of symmetric encryption.
C. Inclusion of the hash value of the certificate.
D. Certification by the certificate holder.

A

A

90
Q

What is the key difference between RSA and Diffie-Hellman?

A. RSA is a key agreement protocol, and Diffie-Hellman encrypts data.
B. RSA uses key exchange, and Diffie-Hellman creates digital signatures.
C. RSA encrypts and signs data, while Diffie-Hellman is a key agreement protocol.
D. RSA requires less computation than Diffie-Hellman.

A

C

91
Q

What is the primary purpose of a hash function in a cryptographic system?

A. Encrypt data for secure transmission.
B. Generate a fixed-length digest for verifying data integrity.
C. Create public and private key pairs.
D. Generate symmetric encryption keys.

A

B

92
Q

What makes AES more secure compared to DES?

A. Uses asymmetric encryption methods.
B. Allows variable key lengths of up to 256 bits.
C. Requires fewer computational resources.
D. Only operates on small data blocks.

A

B

93
Q

What does ‘Defense in Depth’ refer to in information security?

A. Using a single strong security mechanism.
B. Layering multiple security measures to protect resources.
C. Encrypting data twice for added security.
D. Replacing outdated security protocols regularly.

A

B

94
Q

Which is an example of a secure block cipher mode of operation?

A. ECB.
B. CBC.
C. ROT13.
D. XOR.

A

B

95
Q

Which cryptographic algorithm is widely used for password hashing?

A. MD5.
B. bcrypt.
C. AES.
D. RC4.

A

B

96
Q

What is the role of the Initialization Vector (IV) in block ciphers?

A. To generate keys for encryption.
B. To add randomness to the encryption process.
C. To verify digital signatures.
D. To compress ciphertext for storage.

A

B

97
Q

What is the primary advantage of quantum-resistant cryptography?

A. Faster encryption and decryption times.
B. Secure against attacks from quantum computers.
C. Requires shorter key lengths.
D. Eliminates the need for public-key infrastructure.

A

B

98
Q

Which algorithm is considered quantum-resistant?

A. RSA.
B. AES-256.
C. Lattice-based cryptography.
D. SHA-256.

A

C

99
Q

What is the key concept of Zero Trust Architecture?

A. Encrypting all data with symmetric keys.
B. Eliminating network perimeter defenses.
C. Never trusting any user or device by default, even within the network.
D. Implementing MAC-then-Encrypt policies.

A

C

100
Q

What is one challenge associated with post-quantum cryptography?

A. Lack of secure key generation algorithms.
B. Increased computational requirements for implementation.
C. Incompatibility with symmetric encryption.
D. Vulnerability to side-channel attacks.

A

B

SRSI_2 (6 decks)

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