hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Wants to implement a cryptographic solution that…
An organization wants to implement a cryptographic solution that ensures forward secrecy for its internal communications. Which key exchange method should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'Diffie-Hellman' (which can be static) and 'Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral' (DHE) — the trap is that candidates see 'Diffie-Hellman' and assume forward secrecy, forgetting that only the ephemeral variant provides it.
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
✓
Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral (DHE)
DHE (Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral) generates a fresh, temporary key pair for each session and never reuses the private key, ensuring that compromise of a long-term key does not expose past session keys. This provides forward secrecy because the ephemeral keys are destroyed after the session ends, making it computationally infeasible to decrypt recorded traffic even if the server's static key is later compromised.
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 key exchange
Why it's wrong here
RSA key exchange uses the server's long-term private key; compromise leaks past sessions.
- ✗
Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH)
Why it's wrong here
ECDH without ephemeral keys does not guarantee forward secrecy.
- ✓
Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral (DHE)
Why this is correct
DHE generates temporary keys each session, so compromise of long-term keys does not expose past sessions.
- ✗
Static Diffie-Hellman
Why it's wrong here
Static DH uses fixed keys and does not provide forward secrecy.
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
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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.