SSCP Cryptography Practice Question
An organization wants to implement a key exchange mechanism that provides forward secrecy. Which of the following should be used?
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
✓
Ephemeral Diffie-Hellman
Ephemeral Diffie-Hellman (DHE or ECDHE) provides forward secrecy because the session keys are ephemeral and not derived from long-term keys.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Pre-shared key
Why it's wrong here
PSK does not provide forward secrecy.
- ✓
Ephemeral Diffie-Hellman
Why this is correct
Ephemeral DH provides forward secrecy.
- ✗
RSA key exchange
Why it's wrong here
RSA key exchange does not provide forward secrecy.
- ✗
Static Diffie-Hellman
Why it's wrong here
Static DH 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.