Topic 1 (question answer)

1. Briefly explain what is meant by the term encryption with reference to key and
algorithm.

Ans: Encryption is the method of changing readable plain-text into cipher-text,

which is an unreadable form, using an algorithm and a key.

2. For successful encryption, it is important that the key and algorithm must be kept
secret’. Is this statement valid or misleading?

Ans: In symmetric-key cryptography, the key must be kept secret, but the
algorithm does not have to be.

3. Cryptanalysis is the art or process of deciphering coded messages without being

told the key. A form of Cryptanalysis is the Brute Force Attack.

Briefly explain how a Brute Force Attack works.

Ans: A Brute Force Attack is one in which every possible key is used until
the encrypted text is translated into plaintext.

4. With the use of an example, outline the effect of different key sizes in relation to a
Brute Force Attack.

Ans: The more combinations a key contains, the more time it takes to
decrypt a message, so the longer the key, the more difficult it is to decrypt.
It is one type of brute force attack that uses words from a dictionary and
also numbers. example Air-Crack.

5. How can Public and Symmetric Key encryption be combined to overcome the
disadvantage you identified in part?

Ans: Avoid this by utilizing PK to exchange Symmetric Keys and then using
Symmetric encryption for performance to overcome the problem.
 6. When you are receiving important information over email, non-repudiation is
essential. Briefly explain what is meant by the term non-repudiation.

Ans: The assurance that someone will not be able to deny something is
known as non-repudiation.

7. Symmetric encryption is an important tool for keeping data secure. Explain how
symmetric encryption keeps data confidential so that an attacker cannot read it.
You should use a diagram to illustrate the process.

Ans: Encryption is the method of changing readable plain text into cipher
text with the help of an algorithm and a secret key. Keep the algorithm
secret. But in symmetric-key cryptography, the key must be kept secret.

8. There are many ciphers used for encryption. A well-known cipher is DES.

What type of cipher is DES? You should also briefly discuss its main features.

 DES is symmetric.
 DES is block cipher.
 It uses a 56-bit key.
 It is a standardized encryption algorithm that the U.s Government
approved in 1977.
Why is DES regarded as weak?
Ans: It is now considered insecure because the key length is so low that modern
computers can easily try every possible combination and thereby break it.

What is the replacement standard cipher for DES?

Ans: AES.

9. Explain what is meant by a hash function and briefly discuss properties that
make a good one.
Ans: A hash function is a mathematical function that turns a lot of data into
a small piece of data.

10. Public Key Encryption

 Uses 2 keys one for encryption and the other for decryption.
 Distributed Public Key.
 Private key is never distributed and is always kept privately.

11. Briefly explain why encryption is used in computer security.

Ans: It is used to keep private information safe so that only authorized

persons have access to it.

12. Two types of encryptions are symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption.
What is the difference between symmetric encryption and asymmetric
encryption?

Ans: In symmetric encryption, the same key is used for encryption and
decryption, but in asymmetric encryption, a public key is used for
encryption and private key is used for decryption.
13. State ONE (1) advantage of symmetric encryption over asymmetric encryption.

Ans: Symmetric encryption is much faster.

14. State ONE (1) advantage of asymmetric encryption over symmetric encryption.

Ans: Asymmetric encryption doesn't need to share the private key.

15. Ismail says that he thinks encryption or hashing are involved, but he cannot
remember what the difference is between the two terms.

Briefly explain ONE similarity and ONE difference between hashing and
encryption.

Ans: Similarity: Both turn plaintext into a coded form that is difficult to
understood.
Difference: Hashing is one-way and encryption is two-way.

16. nima uses a search engine to find out more information about nonrepudiation
and discovers that it is achieved using a Digital Signature as follows:
1. The message is hashed (with agreed algorithm) to form a message digest
(MD).
2. The message digest is encrypted with the sender’s private key.
3. The encrypted message digest is added to the message and sent.
4. The recipient computes the message digest and also decrypts the encrypted
message digest with the sender’s public key.
5. The recipient compares the MD with the decrypted message digest

Explain why the senders’ private key is used in step 2, rather than the senders’
public key.

Ans: In order to make sure that a message is from a sender, the sender
must know their private key.
17. Explain why the senders’ public key is used in step 4, rather than the senders’
private key.

Ans: The public key is the only way to decrypt a message encrypted by the
matching private key, allowing the receiver to verify the sender's identity.

18. The Data Encryption Standard (DES) is a symmetric encryption algorithm

approved by the U.S. government in 1977. It uses a 56-bit key, which is
sometimes stored with additional parity bits that extends its length to 64 bits.
DES is a block cipher, and encrypts and decrypts 64-bit data blocks. It is now
considered insecure.

Explain the purpose of the algorithm and how it uses a key in DES.

Ans: It is the process of changing readable plain text into cipher text, which
is a form that can't be understood.

The algorithm takes a key as an input to make sure the output isn't
recognizable.

19. Should the DES key be kept secret? You should support your recommendation
with an explanation.

Ans: The key in DES should be hidden, known only to authorized persons.

20. Should the DES algorithm be kept secret? You should support your
recommendation with an explanation.

Ans: To ensure confidentiality, the algorithm does not need to be kept

private. The key is the information that keeps it safe.

21. DES is stated to use symmetric encryption. Explain what is meant by symmetric
encryption.

Ans: Symmetric encryption uses the same key for encryption and
decryption.

.
22. DES uses a 56-bit key. Explain the significance of the key length.
Ans: Because there are fewer possible key combinations, a brute force attack
can break a short key more quickly.

23. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric encryption algorithm

approved by the U.S. government in 2002. It uses three different key lengths:
128, 192 and 256 bits. AES is a block cipher and encrypts and decrypts 128-bit
data blocks.

Explain the purpose of the key and algorithm in AES.

Ans: The encryption algorithm is the way of converting readable plain-text

into cipher-text, which is a form that cannot be recognized.

The algorithm takes a key as an input to make sure the output isn't
recognizable.

24. Briefly explain whether the AES key should be kept secret, and justify your
answer.

Ans: The key in AES should be kept secret so that only those who are
authorized can see it.

25. Briefly explain whether the AES algorithm should be kept secret, and justify your
answer.

Ans: The algorithm for AES doesn't need to be kept a secret because the
key is the thing that keeps things private.

26. Explain what is meant by the term symmetric encryption.

Ans: Symmetric encryption uses the same key for encryption and
decryption.
27. AES uses keys of length 128, 192 and 256 bits. Explain why a short key is less
secure.

Ans: There are fewer combinations, which means that brute force attacks
take less time to break.

28. Encryption is used to convert readable plain-text to cypher-text to ensure it is

obscured if it is intercepted. State the TWO (2) mechanisms used during this
process.

Ans: A key and an algorithm.

29. DES is a symmetric encryption algorithm approved by the U.S. government in

1977. State what the acronym DES stands for and briefly explain how it is used.

Ans: Q/NO 8.

30. Symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption have one fundamental

difference. Briefly state how they differ.

Ans: Symmetric encryption uses one key, while asymmetric encryption

uses two keys.

31. The RSA (Rivest, Shamir and Adleman) Algorithm involves three steps. State the
THREE (3) steps.

Ans: Key generation, Encryption and Decryption.

32. Briefly explain the general actions performed during the encryption process.

Ans: Q/NO 1.

33. As well as classifying encryption as symmetric or asymmetric there are two other
main classifications. State the TWO (2) other classifications.

Ans: Substitutions and Transpositions.

34. Encryption is widely employed both commercially and privately. State the TWO
(2) ways encryption schemes are measured as being computationally secure.

Ans: # The cost of cracking the technique exceeds the value of the
encrypted data.

# To decode the system takes longer than the information's lifetime.

35. State the difference between how a Block Cipher and a Stream Cipher process
plain text.

Ans: # A block cipher in which a block of elements is turned into the output
block all at once.

# The input items are continuously processed one at a time in a stream

cipher.

36. To ensure password database entries are protected Hashing Functions are used.
State TWO (2) common Hashing Functions.

Ans:  MD5  SHA-1

37. ‘Successful encryption, depends on the key and algorithm being kept secret’. Is
this statement valid or misleading? Explain your answer.

Ans: The algorithm need not be kept secret, but the key must be kept
private in symmetric key cryptography.

38. What is AES and RSA?

Ans: AES: Advanced Encryption Standard – Symmetric Key Encryption

RSA: Rivest Shamir and Adleman – Asymmetric Key Encryption
39. The Feistel Cipher is a scheme used by almost all modern block ciphers. Explain
the FIVE (5) steps that are carried out in a Feistel Cipher.

 The input is divided into two equal blocks, which are called left (L)
and right (R). Then, the algorithm is run over and over again.
 A function (f) is run on the right block and key, as well as the result
is XORed into the left block.
 Then, the blocks are switched.
 The XORed result is the new right block, and the original right block
is the left block.
 The procedure is performed several times.

40. Explain what is meant by a brute force attack and state the best defense to
ensure an attack is not successful.

 In a brute force attack, every key is tried until the encrypted text is
correctly translated into plaintext.
 Strong passwords.
 The main issue is the amount of time it takes.

41. Briefly explain what is meant by the term encryption.

Ans: Q/NO1.

42. Briefly describe the FIVE (5) elements of a symmetric encryption system.

 Plaintext – The real message in plain text.

 Encryption algorithm – The Message's encryption technique.
 Secret key – A set of bits used in encryption.
 Ciphertext – The encrypted message.
 Decryption algorithm – Reverse mathematical decryption process.

43. Explain what is meant by a brute force attack and state TWO (2) problems an
attacker faces in using a brute force attack on an encrypted message.

Ans: Q/NO 40
44. When hackers are attempting to gain access to a secure IT system, they usually
have to break through a password barrier. There are several different ways to
break the passwords including Brute force and Dictionary attack. Describe the
difference between these TWO (2) methods

Brute force – Make use of a variety of key combinations that are possible.
Dictionary attack – Make use of a list of commonly used passwords.

45. State THREE (3) symmetric encryption algorithms used in IPsec putting them in
order from strongest to weakest.

Ans: AES • Seal • 3DES • Des.

46. Explain, using a diagram, how the keys in symmetric encryption are used. Give
an example of a protocol that uses symmetric encryption.

47. With a diagram and example protocol explain how the keys in Asymmetric
encryption are used
48. Identify and explain TWO (2) ways that you can increase the strength of a
password against a brute force attack.

 Increasing password length.

 Uppercase, lowercase.
 Numbers.
 Special characters.

49. Cryptographic algorithms can be classified in several ways. One of the main
types of classifications is by the type of operations used in the encryption
process.

State the two types of operation used.

Ans: Substitutions and Transpositions

50. Explain how each works using an example.

Substitutions: Each element of the plaintext is linked with another.

Transpositions: The plaintext is rearranged in several ways.

51. Explain the terms ‘Block Cipher’ and ‘Stream Cipher’.

Block Cipher: These techniques are commonly used to encode and decode
fixed-size blocks of text, which are typically 64 bits in size.

Stream Cipher: It is common for stream ciphers to encrypt a stream of data

in real time using a keystream and some kind of mathematic combination.

52. Name an encryption algorithm you would use for a site-to-site VPN. Provide a
justification for your answer.

Ans: AES. It uses a key that is generated over multiple rounds of

modification, each of which makes it harder to break the encryption.

53. Explain what is meant by a brute force attack. Identify any disadvantages of this
approach.

A Brute Force Attack is one in which every possible key is used until the
encrypted text is translated into plaintext.

Disadvantages: The main issue is the amount of time it takes.

54. Explain what is meant by a dictionary attack and why it can be an effective
approach

A dictionary attack uses well-known words to guess passwords. Since

most passwords are chosen by users, they are likely to be common words.

A dictionary attack only looks at the things that are considered to be the
most likely to work.