The answer is that switching from SHA-1 to SHA-256 primarily increases collision resistance. Collision resistance means it is computationally infeasible to find two different inputs that produce the same hash output; SHA-1 has known theoretical and practical collision attacks, making it vulnerable, while SHA-256 belongs to the SHA-2 family and offers significantly stronger resistance against such attacks. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this concept tests your understanding of integrity and hashing fundamentals—a common trap is confusing hashing with encryption or assuming SHA-1 is still secure for password storage. Remember that SHA-1’s 160-bit output is simply too short to resist modern brute-force or birthday attacks, whereas SHA-256’s 256-bit output provides a vastly larger search space. A useful memory tip: “SHA-1 is one step behind—256 is double the strength, double the collision resistance.”
ISC2 CC Security Principles Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security principles. 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.
A company deploys a web application that stores user passwords using a salted hash. During a security review, an auditor recommends switching from SHA-1 to SHA-256. What is the primary security benefit of this change?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It increases collision resistance
SHA-1 is considered weak due to collision vulnerabilities, while SHA-256 is more resistant. The change improves integrity protection for stored passwords. Option B (collision resistance) is correct. Option A (encryption) is wrong because hashing is not encryption. Option C (availability) is not directly related. Option D (non-repudiation) requires digital signatures, not just hashing.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
It improves system availability
Why it's wrong here
Hash algorithm choice does not directly affect availability.
✗
It provides encryption of the passwords at rest
Why it's wrong here
Hashing is a one-way function, not encryption; it does not allow decryption.
✓
It increases collision resistance
Why this is correct
SHA-256 offers stronger collision resistance than SHA-1, reducing the risk of two different inputs producing the same hash.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
It enhances non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation typically requires digital signatures, not just hashing.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CC NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security Principles — This question tests Security Principles — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: It increases collision resistance — SHA-1 is considered weak due to collision vulnerabilities, while SHA-256 is more resistant. The change improves integrity protection for stored passwords. Option B (collision resistance) is correct. Option A (encryption) is wrong because hashing is not encryption. Option C (availability) is not directly related. Option D (non-repudiation) requires digital signatures, not just hashing.
What should I do if I get this CC question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CC NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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