SSCP Cryptography Practice Question
A company is upgrading its legacy systems to use modern cryptographic standards. Which two of the following algorithms should be avoided due to known weaknesses or deprecation?
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
✓
MD5 for hashing
MD5 and 3DES are considered weak: MD5 has collision vulnerabilities, and 3DES is deprecated due to small block size and performance issues. SHA-256, AES-256, and ECDH are modern and secure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SHA-256 for hashing
Why it's wrong here
SHA-256 is currently secure and widely recommended.
- ✓
MD5 for hashing
Why this is correct
MD5 is cryptographically broken; collision attacks are feasible.
- ✗
AES-256 for encryption
Why it's wrong here
AES-256 is a strong, modern symmetric cipher.
- ✗
ECDH for key exchange
Why it's wrong here
ECDH is a secure key exchange algorithm providing forward secrecy when used ephemerally.
- ✓
3DES for encryption
Why this is correct
3DES is deprecated due to its 64-bit block size and susceptibility to Sweet32 attacks; it is also slow.
Quick reference
Symmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
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Related to this question
About these practice questions
This SSCP question is part of Courseiva's 920-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SSCP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which of the following is a cryptographic hash function that is considered cryptographically broken due to collision attacks and should not be used for security purposes?
medium- ✓ A.SHA-1
- B.SHA-256
- C.SHA-3
- ✓ D.MD5
Why A: Both SHA-1 and MD5 are considered cryptographically broken due to collision attacks and should not be used for security purposes. SHA-256 and SHA-3 are still considered secure.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.