- A
SHA-3
Why wrong: SHA-3 is the latest standard and is secure.
- B
SHA-256
Why wrong: SHA-256 is currently secure.
- C
MD5
MD5 is vulnerable to collision attacks.
- D
HMAC-SHA256
Why wrong: HMAC-SHA256 is a secure message authentication code.
- E
SHA-1
SHA-1 is deprecated due to collision attacks.
Question 340 of 1,000
SSCP Cryptography Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of cryptography. 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.
An organization wants to implement a hashing algorithm for integrity checks. Which of the following should be avoided due to known vulnerabilities? (Select TWO)
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
MD5 is correct because it is a widely deprecated hashing algorithm with known collision vulnerabilities, making it unsuitable for integrity checks. Practical collision attacks (e.g., using a chosen-prefix collision) can be executed in seconds on commodity hardware, so any integrity check relying on MD5 can be trivially bypassed.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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-3
Why it's wrong here
SHA-3 is the latest standard and is secure.
- ✗
SHA-256
Why it's wrong here
SHA-256 is currently secure.
- ✓
MD5
Why this is correct
MD5 is vulnerable to collision attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
HMAC-SHA256
Why it's wrong here
HMAC-SHA256 is a secure message authentication code.
- ✓
SHA-1
Why this is correct
SHA-1 is deprecated due to collision attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume SHA-1 is still acceptable because it was once widely used, but the SSCP exam expects you to know that both MD5 and SHA-1 are broken for collision resistance and should be avoided.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
MD5 produces a 128-bit digest and was designed by Ron Rivest in 1991, but by 2004, researchers demonstrated practical collisions (e.g., the Wang attack). In contrast, SHA-1 (also selected as correct) produces a 160-bit digest and suffers from the SHAttered attack (2017), where two different PDFs produce the same SHA-1 hash. Both algorithms are explicitly prohibited in FIPS 140-3 and by major security standards (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST SP 800-131A) for integrity purposes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Cryptography — This question tests Cryptography — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: MD5 — MD5 is correct because it is a widely deprecated hashing algorithm with known collision vulnerabilities, making it unsuitable for integrity checks. Practical collision attacks (e.g., using a chosen-prefix collision) can be executed in seconds on commodity hardware, so any integrity check relying on MD5 can be trivially bypassed.
What should I do if I get this SSCP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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