Question 1

ECB mode of operation has the best “error propagation”.

Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The ECB or electronic code book mode of operation propagates the most errors. A single bit error
is carried onto the next block and so on. So it’s actually worst.
Question 2
The last cipher block of the CBC mode also depends on the Initialization Vector.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The first block in CBC mode uses an IV.
Question 3
Cipher Feedback mode cannot be used as a building block for a stream cipher.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: There are 3 modes of operation which make a stream cipher out of a block cipher:

1. Cipher Feedback Mode,

2. Output Feedback Mode, and
3. Counter Mode.
Question 4
Only one layer of AES computations is based on the Galois field.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: In AES, Galois field arithmetic is used in most layers.
Question 5
CTR mode is not a natural candidate for stream ciphers.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: OFB and CTR both produce outputs that are independent of both plaintext and ciphertext. Thus they
are ideal candidates for stream ciphers.
Question 6
ECB mode of operation has the worst “error propagation”.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The ECB or electronic code book mode of operation propagates the most errors. A single bit error
is carried onto the next block and so on. So it’s worst.
Question 7
Suppose that everyone in a group of N people wants to communicate secretly with the (N – 1) others using a
symmetric key cryptographic system. The communication between any two persons should not be decodable
by the others in the group. The number of keys required in the system as a whole to satisfy the confidentiality
requirement is N(N - 1)/2.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: In Symmetric Key Cryptography, access of key is with both the parties. It implies every person
needs to communicate N-1 other users using different keys i.e 1+2+3…N-2+N-1 This is like number of edges
needed in a complete graph with N vertices is N(N-1)/2.
Question 8
In Electronic Code Book mode operations synchronization between the encryption and decryption parties is not
necessary.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: If the receiver did not receive all encrypted blocks due to transmission problems , it’s still possible
to decrypt the received blocks.
Question 9
A collision occurs if we have x = y and H(x) = H(y).
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: A collision occurs if we have x not equal to y and H(x) = H(y).
Question 10
RSA 1024 bit has 80 bit security.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The security strength is measured in bits and is, basically, a measure of the difficulty of discovering
the key. The understood security strength for each algorithm is listed in SP 800-57. For example, RSA using a
key length of 1024 bits (i.e., 1024-bit RSA) has a security strength of 80 bits, as does 2-key Triple DES, while
2048-bit RSA and 3-key Triple DES have a security strength of 112 bits. See Table 2 in Part 1 of SP 800-57 for
further security strength information.
It is usual to have different key sizes for the same level of security, depending upon the algorithm used. For
example, the security available with a 1024-bit key using asymmetric RSA is considered approximately equal in
security to an 80-bit key in a symmetric algorithm. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_size
Also see: https://crypto.stackexchange.com/questions/10076/why-is-the-complexity-of-rsa-1024-80-bit-and-not-
86-bit
Question 11
In AES each layer manipulates all 128 bits of the data path.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: AES consists of three layers. Each layer manipulates all128 bits of the data path. There are only
three different types of layers. Each round, with the exception of the first, consists of all three layers
Question 12
AES is a modern block cipher that supports only a 128-bit key length.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: It supports 128/192/256 bit keys.
Question 13
The last cipher block of the CBC mode does not depends on the Initialization Vector.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The first block in CBC mode uses an IV.
Question 14
Suppose that everyone in a group of N people wants to communicate secretly with the (N – 1) others using a
symmetric key cryptographic system. The communication between any two persons should not be decodable
by the others in the group. The number of keys required in the system as a whole to satisfy the confidentiality
requirement is 2N.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: In Symmetric Key Cryptography, access of key is with both the parties. It implies every person
needs to communicate N-1 other users using different keys i.e 1+2+3…N-2+N-1 This is like number of edges
needed in a complete graph with N vertices is N(N-1)/2.
Question 15
RSA 1024 bit has 1024 bit security.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The security strength is measured in bits and is, basically, a measure of the difficulty of discovering
the key. The understood security strength for each algorithm is listed in SP 800-57. For example, RSA using a
key length of 1024 bits (i.e., 1024-bit RSA) has a security strength of 80 bits, as does 2-key Triple DES, while
2048-bit RSA and 3-key Triple DES have a security strength of 112 bits. See Table 2 in Part 1 of SP 800-57 for
further security strength information.
It is usual to have different key sizes for the same level of security, depending upon the algorithm used. For
example, the security available with a 1024-bit key using asymmetric RSA is considered approximately equal in
security to an 80-bit key in a symmetric algorithm. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_size
Also see: https://crypto.stackexchange.com/questions/10076/why-is-the-complexity-of-rsa-1024-80-bit-and-not-
86-bit
Question 16
In Cipher Block Chaining mode any ciphertext block does not depend on all previous plaintext blocks and/or
IV.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: In CBC mode, each block of plaintext is XORed with the previous ciphertext block before being
encrypted. This way, each ciphertext block depends on all plaintext blocks processed up to that point. To make
each message unique, an initialization vector must be used in the first block.
Question 17
For the computation of all the round constant RC[ ] of the AES-256, a primitive polynomial is not used.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The round constant for the ith round is denoted Rcon[i]. Since, by specification, the three rightmost
bytes of the round constant are zero, we can write it as shown below. The left hand side of the equation below
stands for the round constant to be used in the ith round. The right hand side of the equation says that the
rightmost three bytes of the round constant are zero.
Rcon[i] = (RC[i], 0x00, 0x00, 0x00)
The only non-zero byte in the round constants, RC[i], obeys the following recursion:
RC[1] = 0x01
RC[j] = 0x02 × RC[j − 1]
Multiplication by 0x02 amounts to multiplying the polynomial corresponding to the bit pattern RC[j− 1] by x.
Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AES_key_schedule#Round_constants
Question 18
Always GCD(n, n+1) = 1.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: gcd(n,n+1) is obviously 1; no larger number can divide both n and n+1! But if you insist on a proof,
here goes: If x divides both a and b, then it divides a–b. Now suppose y = gcd(n,n+1), and therefore we have
both y | n and y | (n+1). Then y divides the difference between n and (n+1), which is 1. But the only number that
divides 1 is 1 itself, so y = 1.
Question 19
In AES-128 all 10 rounds are similar.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: In AES-128 9 rounds are similar, last round is different.
Question 20
The Electronic Code Book mode is susceptible to substitution attacks.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: The ECB mode is susceptible to substitution attacks, because once a particular plaintext to
ciphertext block mapping x(i) → y(i) is known, the sequence of ciphertext blocks can easily be manipulated.
Question 21
Output Feedback mode can be used to build a stream cipher encryption scheme.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: Explanation: There are 3 modes of operation which make a stream cipher out of a block cipher:

1. Cipher Feedback Mode,

2. Output Feedback Mode, and
3. Counter Mode.
Question 22
A collision occurs if we have x ≠≠ y and H(x) = H(y).
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: See answer to Question 9 .
Question 23
AES is a 128/192/256 bits block cipher.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: It supports all 3 key sizes.
Question 24
In AES-128 out of 10 rounds, 9 rounds are similar.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: Yes. Only last round is different.
Question 25
AES is a 128/192/256 key bit cipher.
Select one:
True
False
Explanation: It supports all 3 key sizes.