How should I use these Cryptography practice questions?

Read each scenario carefully and choose your answer before revealing the explanation. Then check why your choice was right or wrong. Repeat until the reasoning feels automatic.

Can I practise just Cryptography questions in a focused session?

Yes — use the session launcher on this page to start a 10-, 20-, 30- or 50-question session drawn entirely from the Cryptography domain.

SSCP · topic practice

Cryptography practice questions

Practise Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP Cryptography practice questions — original exam-style scenarios with answer choices, explanations, and analysis of common mistakes.

Courseiva uses original exam-style practice questions designed for learning and revision. The goal is to understand the concepts, recognise exam patterns, and improve through explanations — not memorise copied exam dumps.

Reviewed byJohnson Ajibi· MSc IT Security

20 questionsDomain: Cryptography

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What the exam tests

What to know about Cryptography

Cryptography questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.

How the topic appears in realistic exam-style scenarios.

Which detail in the question changes the correct answer.

How to eliminate plausible but wrong options.

How to connect the question back to the wider exam objective.

Watch out for

Common Cryptography exam traps

▸Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
▸Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
▸Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
▸Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.

Practice set

Cryptography questions

20 questions · select your answer, then reveal the explanation

Question 1mediummulti select

Read the full Cryptography explanation →

A security team is evaluating hashing algorithms for use in a new system. Which of the following are considered currently secure for general use? (Select TWO)

Trap 1: SHA-1

SHA-1 is deprecated and susceptible to collision attacks.

Trap 2: MD5

MD5 is broken due to collision attacks.

Trap 3: HMAC-SHA256

HMAC is a message authentication code, not a hash function.

Cryptography practice questions

What to know about Cryptography

Common Cryptography exam traps

Cryptography questions

A security team is evaluating hashing algorithms for use in a new system. Which of the following are considered currently secure for general use? (Select TWO)

An analyst is comparing symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Which statement accurately describes a typical use case?

Which of the following is a secure alternative to RC4 for stream ciphers?

A security engineer is designing a system that requires non-repudiation of data origin. Which cryptographic technique should be used?

An organization is planning to implement ECC for digital signatures. Which key size provides a security level equivalent to a 3072-bit RSA key?

Which protocol is used to provide secure remote shell access and replace Telnet?

In a PKI, what is the role of the root Certificate Authority (CA)?

A security administrator is evaluating encryption protocols for email communication. Which of the following protocols can secure email in transit? (Select TWO)

Which of the following are considered secure cryptographic practices for key management? (Select THREE)

An organization wants to implement a hashing algorithm for integrity checks. Which of the following should be avoided due to known vulnerabilities? (Select TWO)

Which of the following encryption algorithms is classified as a symmetric block cipher and is the current standard recommended by NIST, supporting key sizes of 128, 192, and 256 bits?

A security engineer is implementing a digital signature scheme to ensure non-repudiation. Which process correctly describes how a digital signature is created and verified?

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?

What is the minimum recommended RSA key size for secure use as of current best practices?

A security analyst is recommending a symmetric encryption algorithm for a new application that requires both confidentiality and authentication. Which algorithm and mode combination should they select?

An organization is implementing a digital signature solution to ensure non-repudiation of documents. Which combination of keys is used during the signing process?

A company is deploying a VPN using IPsec. They want to ensure that even if the private key of the server is compromised, past session keys cannot be derived. Which key exchange method should they use?

A security administrator is configuring a web server to use TLS. They want to optimize performance while maintaining strong security. Which cipher suite should they prioritize?

Which of the following hash algorithms is considered cryptographically broken and should be avoided due to collision attacks?

An organization uses a PKI with a root CA that issues certificates to intermediate CAs, which then issue end-entity certificates. A client receives an end-entity certificate signed by an intermediate CA. During validation, which certificates are required to build the chain of trust?

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Exam traps to avoid