SSCP Cryptography Practice Question
Which of the following are considered secure cryptographic practices for key management? (Select THREE)
⚠ Common exam trap
In the SSCP exam, a common trap is the misconception that convenience (e.g., email sharing or plaintext storage) can be acceptable in secure environments, but the exam strictly enforces that keys must never be transmitted or stored in an insecure manner.
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
✓
Implementing regular key rotation
Secure key management practices include: (B) implementing regular key rotation, which limits the amount of data protected by a single key and reduces the impact of a key compromise, consistent with guidance such as NIST SP 800-57; (C) using a Hardware Security Module (HSM) for key storage, since HSMs provide tamper-resistant hardware protection and keep keys out of general-purpose systems; and (E) securely destroying keys when they are no longer needed, so that retired or compromised keys cannot be recovered and misused. In contrast, storing keys in plaintext configuration files (A) and sharing keys over email (D) are insecure practices that expose keys to unauthorized disclosure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Storing keys in plaintext configuration files
Why it's wrong here
This is insecure; keys should be protected.
- ✓
Implementing regular key rotation
Why this is correct
Key rotation limits the impact of a key compromise.
- ✓
Using a Hardware Security Module (HSM) for key storage
Why this is correct
HSMs provide tamper-resistant key storage.
- ✗
Sharing keys over email for convenience
Why it's wrong here
Sharing keys over email is insecure.
- ✓
Securely destroying keys when no longer needed
Why this is correct
Proper key destruction prevents future compromise.
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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.