CEH Practice Question: Advanced Topics: Wireless, Cloud, IoT, Cryptography

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

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  3DES

  Why it's wrong here

  Triple DES (3DES) is a symmetric-key block cipher that applies the DES algorithm three times to each data block. It utilizes a single secret key, or a set of related keys, for both encryption and decryption operations, meaning the same key must be securely shared between communicating parties. This characteristic makes it unsuitable for scenarios requiring distinct public and private keys, which is the hallmark of asymmetric cryptography.

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  ECC

  Why this is correct

  Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is an asymmetric encryption algorithm that relies on the mathematical properties of elliptic curves over finite fields to create public and private key pairs. Its security is based on the difficulty of solving the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem, allowing it to provide comparable security strength to RSA with significantly smaller key sizes. This efficiency makes ECC particularly well-suited for resource-constrained environments like mobile devices and for securing TLS connections.

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  SHA-256

  Why it's wrong here

  SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic hash function, not an encryption algorithm. Its primary purpose is to generate a fixed-size, unique digest (hash value) from input data, ensuring data integrity by detecting any unauthorized modifications. Unlike encryption, which is reversible with the correct key, SHA-256 is a one-way function designed to be computationally infeasible to reverse engineer the original input from its hash.

• ✓

  RSA

  Why this is correct

  RSA is a widely used asymmetric encryption algorithm, named after its inventors Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman, which employs a pair of mathematically linked keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. Its security relies on the computational difficulty of factoring the product of two large prime numbers. RSA is foundational for secure communications, enabling digital signatures, key exchange, and the secure transmission of symmetric keys.

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  AES

  Why it's wrong here

  Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric-key block cipher adopted by the U.S. government and widely used worldwide for data encryption. It operates by encrypting and decrypting data using the same secret key, making it highly efficient for bulk data encryption once a secure key exchange has occurred. AES supports key lengths of 128, 192, or 256 bits, offering robust security for confidential information.

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