200-201 Deterministic Practice Question
An organization wants to ensure the integrity of software updates downloaded from its vendor's website. The vendor provides a hash value for each update. Which TWO properties of hashing algorithms make them suitable for integrity verification? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
While fixed-length output is a property of hash functions, it does not aid in integrity verification. The key properties are determinism and the avalanche effect.
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
✓
The same input always produces the same hash.
For integrity verification, two crucial properties of hashing algorithms are determinism (the same input always produces the same hash) and the avalanche effect (a small change in input results in a significantly different hash). Fixed-length output is a characteristic of hash functions but does not directly contribute to integrity verification; it is merely a convenience. Therefore, the correct two options are A and B.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The same input always produces the same hash.
Why this is correct
Correct: Determinism ensures that the same data always yields the same hash, allowing comparison against a known baseline.
- ✓
A small change in input results in a significantly different hash.
Why this is correct
Correct: The avalanche effect means even a tiny alteration to the input changes the hash completely, making tampering obvious.
- ✗
The hash can be reversed to obtain the original data.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Hashing is a one-way function; it cannot be reversed to obtain the original data.
- ✗
The hash output is always the same length for a given algorithm.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: While hash outputs are of fixed length, this property does not aid in verifying integrity. It is merely a computational convenience.
- ✗
Hashing requires a secret key to generate the hash.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Standard hashing does not require a secret key; keyed hashes (HMAC) are separate constructs.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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