This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security architecture and engineering. 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.
Which THREE of the following are examples of asymmetric cryptographic algorithms? (Select THREE.)
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
Correct. ECC is asymmetric.
Diffie-Hellman
Correct. Diffie-Hellman is asymmetric for key exchange.
AES
Why wrong: Incorrect. AES is a symmetric block cipher.
RSA
Correct. RSA is an asymmetric algorithm for encryption and signatures.
Blowfish
Why wrong: Incorrect. Blowfish is a symmetric cipher.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm that uses the algebraic structure of elliptic curves over finite fields to provide security with smaller key sizes compared to RSA. It relies on the Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem (ECDLP) for its security, making it computationally infeasible to derive the private key from the public key. ECC is widely used in modern protocols such as TLS, SSH, and Bitcoin for key exchange and digital signatures.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
Why this is correct
Correct. ECC is asymmetric.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Diffie-Hellman
Why this is correct
Correct. Diffie-Hellman is asymmetric for key exchange.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AES
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AES is a symmetric block cipher.
RSA
Why this is correct
Correct. RSA is an asymmetric algorithm for encryption and signatures.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Blowfish
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Blowfish is a symmetric cipher.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse symmetric ciphers like AES and Blowfish with asymmetric algorithms because they are both used for encryption, but the key management difference is the defining characteristic tested in CISSP.
Detailed technical explanation
Asymmetric cryptography, also known as public-key cryptography, uses a pair of mathematically related keys (public and private) where the public key can be freely distributed while the private key remains secret. ECC achieves equivalent security to RSA with much smaller key sizes (e.g., a 256-bit ECC key provides comparable security to a 3072-bit RSA key), which reduces computational overhead and is critical for resource-constrained environments like IoT devices. Diffie-Hellman enables secure key exchange over an insecure channel by allowing two parties to agree on a shared secret without transmitting it, forming the basis of protocols like IKE in IPsec.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security Architecture and Engineering — This question tests Security Architecture and Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) — Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm that uses the algebraic structure of elliptic curves over finite fields to provide security with smaller key sizes compared to RSA. It relies on the Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem (ECDLP) for its security, making it computationally infeasible to derive the private key from the public key. ECC is widely used in modern protocols such as TLS, SSH, and Bitcoin for key exchange and digital signatures.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CISSP exam.
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