- A
Digital signature
Digital signatures use the sender's private key, providing authentication and integrity.
- B
Hash function
Why wrong: A hash provides integrity but not authentication of the sender.
- C
Public key infrastructure (PKI)
Why wrong: PKI is the framework that supports digital signatures, not the mechanism itself.
- D
Symmetric encryption
Why wrong: Symmetric encryption provides confidentiality but not authentication or integrity by itself.
Question 1 of 1,000
200-201 Security Concepts Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization wants to ensure that a received email genuinely came from the claimed sender and has not been altered. Which cryptographic mechanism provides both authentication and integrity?
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 uses the sender's private key to sign the message, and the recipient verifies it with the sender's public key. This process provides authentication (proving the sender's identity) and integrity (detecting any alteration) because any change to the message invalidates the signature. Hash functions alone provide integrity but not authentication, while PKI is the infrastructure that supports digital signatures but is not the mechanism itself.
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 use the sender's private key, providing authentication and integrity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Hash function
Why it's wrong here
A hash provides integrity but not authentication of the sender.
- ✗
Public key infrastructure (PKI)
Why it's wrong here
PKI is the framework that supports digital signatures, not the mechanism itself.
- ✗
Symmetric encryption
Why it's wrong here
Symmetric encryption provides confidentiality but not authentication or integrity by itself.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between a mechanism (digital signature) and the supporting infrastructure (PKI), leading candidates to mistakenly select PKI because they associate it with certificates and authentication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Digital signatures rely on asymmetric cryptography, typically using RSA or ECDSA. The sender computes a hash of the message and encrypts that hash with their private key to create the signature; the recipient decrypts the signature with the sender's public key and compares it to a freshly computed hash. In real-world email security, S/MIME and DKIM both use digital signatures to authenticate the sender and verify that the email body and headers have not been tampered with in transit.
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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 uses the sender's private key to sign the message, and the recipient verifies it with the sender's public key. This process provides authentication (proving the sender's identity) and integrity (detecting any alteration) because any change to the message invalidates the signature. Hash functions alone provide integrity but not authentication, while PKI is the infrastructure that supports digital signatures but is not the mechanism itself.
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.
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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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