- A
Digital signature
Digital signatures ensure integrity and non-repudiation.
- B
Symmetric encryption
Why wrong: Symmetric encryption provides confidentiality but not non-repudiation.
- C
Hashing
Why wrong: Hashing provides integrity but not non-repudiation.
- D
Public key infrastructure (PKI)
Why wrong: PKI is the framework that supports digital signatures, but the method itself is the digital signature.
Question 397 of 1,000
200-201 Security Concepts Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A security analyst needs to ensure that a message has not been tampered with during transit and that the sender cannot deny sending it. Which cryptographic method should be used?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Digital signature
A digital signature provides both integrity (ensuring the message has not been tampered with) and non-repudiation (preventing the sender from denying they sent it). It works by hashing the message and encrypting that hash with the sender's private key; the recipient verifies the signature using the sender's public key. This cryptographic method uniquely binds the sender to the message, unlike other options that only address one of these requirements.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Digital signature
Why this is correct
Digital signatures ensure integrity and non-repudiation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Symmetric encryption
Why it's wrong here
Symmetric encryption provides confidentiality but not non-repudiation.
- ✗
Hashing
Why it's wrong here
Hashing provides integrity but not non-repudiation.
- ✗
Public key infrastructure (PKI)
Why it's wrong here
PKI is the framework that supports digital signatures, but the method itself is the digital signature.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between hashing (which provides integrity only) and digital signatures (which provide both integrity and non-repudiation), leading candidates to mistakenly choose hashing when non-repudiation is required.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a digital signature uses an asymmetric key pair: the sender signs the hash of the message with their private key (e.g., using RSA or ECDSA), and the recipient verifies the signature with the corresponding public key. The signature is typically encoded in a standard format such as PKCS#7 or CMS, and the hash algorithm (e.g., SHA-256) ensures that even a single-bit change in the message invalidates the signature. In real-world scenarios, digital signatures are critical for code signing, email security (S/MIME), and document signing (e.g., PDF signatures) to prove authenticity and prevent repudiation.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-201 question test?
Security Concepts — This question tests Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Digital signature — A digital signature provides both integrity (ensuring the message has not been tampered with) and non-repudiation (preventing the sender from denying they sent it). It works by hashing the message and encrypting that hash with the sender's private key; the recipient verifies the signature using the sender's public key. This cryptographic method uniquely binds the sender to the message, unlike other options that only address one of these requirements.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.
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