SSCP Cryptography Practice Question
A security engineer needs to choose an asymmetric algorithm for a system with limited computational resources, such as an IoT device. The algorithm must provide equivalent security to RSA 2048-bit while using smaller key sizes. Which algorithm should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
The SSCP exam often tests the misconception that larger key sizes always mean stronger security, leading candidates to pick RSA 2048-bit or Diffie-Hellman 2048-bit, while the trap is that ECC with much smaller key sizes (e.g., 256-bit) provides equivalent security with lower computational overhead, which is the exact requirement for IoT devices.
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
✓
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) with 256-bit keys
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) with 256-bit keys provides equivalent security to RSA 2048-bit because the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem is significantly harder to solve than the integer factorization problem for the same key length. This allows ECC to achieve strong security with much smaller key sizes, making it ideal for resource-constrained IoT devices where memory, power, and processing are limited.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
RSA with 2048-bit keys
Why it's wrong here
RSA keys are large and computationally expensive for resource-constrained devices.
- ✓
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) with 256-bit keys
Why this is correct
ECC provides strong security with smaller keys, ideal for IoT.
- ✗
Diffie-Hellman with 2048-bit keys
Why it's wrong here
DH also requires large key sizes for equivalent security.
- ✗
3DES with 168-bit keys
Why it's wrong here
3DES is symmetric, not asymmetric, and is legacy.
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 |
Go deeper
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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.