SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
Exhibit
openssl verify -CAfile corp-root.pem signed-invoice.pdf signed-invoice.pdf: OK Signature report: - Signer: CN=Northwind Procurement - Issuer: CN=Corp Intermediate CA - Timestamp: 2026-04-14 16:22 UTC - Document digest: matches signature
Based on the exhibit, what is the best conclusion about the signed document?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse digital signatures with encryption — candidates often think signing encrypts the document, but signing only provides integrity and non-repudiation, not confidentiality.
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 invoice was not changed after signing and the signer’s certificate chain validated correctly.
A valid digital signature provides both integrity (the document was not altered after signing) and authentication (the signer's certificate chain validates to a trusted root). The exhibit shows a successful signature validation, which cryptographically proves that the invoice has not been modified since signing and that the signing certificate is trusted.
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 invoice is confidential because the signature encrypts the document contents.
Why it's wrong here
Digital signatures do not provide confidentiality by themselves. The document may still be readable to anyone who has access to it. The exhibit only shows the signature validated successfully, which speaks to trust and integrity, not secrecy.
- ✓
The invoice was not changed after signing and the signer’s certificate chain validated correctly.
Why this is correct
A valid digital signature confirms that the document digest still matches the signed value and that the certificate chain was trusted by the verifier. That means the invoice has not been altered since signing, and the signature can be associated with the trusted certificate identity shown in the exhibit.
- ✗
The invoice can be edited if the timestamp is still within business hours.
Why it's wrong here
A timestamp does not grant permission to modify a signed document. If the file were edited, the digest would no longer match the signature. The exhibit explicitly says the digest matches, which supports integrity, not a temporary editing window.
- ✗
The sender’s private key is now public because the certificate verified successfully.
Why it's wrong here
Verifying a certificate does not expose the sender’s private key. The private key remains protected and should never be made public. Successful verification only means the public certificate chain and signature were accepted as valid by the trust store.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
PKI and Digital Certificates
Key term
Digital signature
A cryptographic technique used to verify the authenticity and integrity of a digital message or document, ensuring it came from the claimed sender and was not altered.
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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