SEMESTER VI
QUESTION BANK
CRYPTOGRAPHY AND NETWORK SECURITY
UNIT- 1 [PART A]
1. When does an encryption scheme is said to be unconditionally secure cipher and
computationally secure cipher?
2. Draw a simplified network security model.
3. Mention the two problems associated with one-time pad.
4. Write the two basic functions used encryption algorithms.
5. How many keys are required for two people to communicate via a cipher?
6. Differentiate between a block cipher and a stream cipher.
7. Why is it important to study Feistel cipher?
8. Specify the difference between diffusion and confusion.
9. Which parameters and design choices determine the actual algorithm of a Feistel
cipher?
10. What is the purpose of the S-boxes in DES?
11. List out the essential ingredients of a symmetric cipher.
12. What is the difference between differential and linear cryptanalysis
13. How many bytes in State are affected by Shift Rows?
14. Differentiate between Sub Bytes and Sub Word.
15. Define meet-in-the-middle attack.
16. How many keys are used in triple encryption?
17. Why do some block cipher modes of operation only use encryption while others
use both encryption and decryption?
18. Write the difference between link and end-to-end encryption.
19. How is the S-box constructed?
20. List some important design considerations for a stream cipher.
21. Write a note on mix columns.
22. What types of information might be derived from a traffic analysis attack?
23. Define traffic padding and write its purpose?
24. List out the original set of criteria used by NIST to evaluate candidate AES
Cipher.
25. For a user workstations in a typical business environment, list potential locations
for confidentiality attacks.
PART B
1. Illustrate the basic approaches to symmetric encryption and the types of attacks.
2. Discuss any four substitution cipher encryption methods and list their merits and
demerits.
3. Illustrate with examples the various classical encryption techniques.
4. Why DES algorithm is implemented? Explain in detail about the function about
DES and compare it with simplified DES.
5. Explain with necessary diagrams about key management, encryption and
decryption in Simplified DES.
6. Discuss the classification of security services in detail.
7. Explain the steps in the various rounds of AES.
8. Explain the subkey generation in the Blowfish algorithm
9. Write a note on IDEA .
10. Illustrate with neat diagrams the block cipher design principles and modes of
operation.
11. With necessary flowchart explain how DES algorithm is implemented.
Draw the model for network security and explain each in detail.
UNIT II [PART A]
1. List the ways in which secret keys can be distributed to two communicating
parties.
2. Write the difference between a session key and a master key.
3. What is key distribution center?
4. Specify the techniques for distribution of public key.
5. Write the roles of public and private key.
6. State man-in-the-middle attack.
7. Write the three broad categories of applications of of public key cryptosystems.
8. List four general categories of schemes for the distribution of public keys.
9. Write a note on simple secret key distribution.
10. Draw a neat sketch showing the key distribution scenario.
11. What is nonce?
12. Why is the middle portion of 3DES a decryption rather than an encryption?
13. Specify the application of public key cryptography.
14. Perform encryption and decryption using RSA algorithm. For the following.
P=7; q=11; e=17; M=8.
15. Distinguish between stream & Block ciphers
16. What is Initialization vector? What is its significance?
PART B
1. Explain in detail about RSA algorithm highlighting its computational aspects and
security.
2. Briefly explain Diffie-Hellman key exchange with an example.
3. Explain RSA algorithm and state approaches for attacking RSA algorithm and
the counter measures for the same.
4. Give a detailed explanation regarding the various Key management techniques.
5. Explain with necessary example the concept of man-in-the-middle attack.
6. Write a note on Elgamal algorithm.
7. Explain in detail about Elliptic Curve Architecture.
8. With a neat sketch about key distribution scenario explain the key control
schemes.
9. Explain in detail about confidentiality using symmetric key and public key
cryptography.
10. Write a note on Knapsack algorithm.
