Test Your Cryptography Knowledge: 20 Essential MCQs on Encryption and Key Management
Cryptography is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data in an increasingly digital world. You might be a developer, security professional, or enthusiast. In any case, mastering key cryptographic concepts such as encryption algorithms is essential. You should also understand key management and secure password storage.
In this blog, we've curated 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) designed to test and reinforce your understanding of cryptography best practices. These questions cover a wide range of topics. They include symmetric and asymmetric encryption, key rotation, and secure random number generation. They give you the knowledge needed to secure applications. This knowledge helps protect sensitive data effectively.
- 1. Which of the following is recommended for storing passwords securely?
- 2. When designing an application, what should be the first step in the process?
- 3. What does the use of dedicated secret or key management systems provide?
- 4. Which of the following is NOT a level where encryption can be performed?
- 5. What is the best way to protect sensitive information, such as credit card details?
- 6. Which symmetric encryption algorithm is preferred for secure encryption?
- 7. What is the preferred asymmetric encryption algorithm for secure data transmission?
- 8. Which cipher mode should always be used when available to ensure both confidentiality and integrity?
- 9. Why should ECB mode be avoided in encryption?
- 10. In RSA encryption, what must be enabled to protect against Known Plaintext Attacks?
- 11. What is the difference between Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNGs) and Cryptographically Secure Pseudo-Random Number Generators (CSPRNGs)?
- 12. Which of the following is a CSPRNG function in Python?
- 13. What type of UUID provides randomness for generation?
- 14. What is the principle of "Defence in Depth" in application security?
- 15. Which process is essential for effective key management?
- 16. What is the primary reason for rotating encryption keys periodically?
- 17. Which of the following is a secure key storage solution?
- 18. Where should encryption keys be stored to minimize risk?
- 19. What is the role of the Key Encryption Key (KEK) in key management?
- 20. What is a recommended approach when an encryption key is compromised?
1. Which of the following is recommended for storing passwords securely?
A) Reversible encryption
B) Secure password hashing algorithms
C) Plaintext storage
D) Base64 encoding
2. When designing an application, what should be the first step in the process?
A) Choosing encryption algorithms
B) Considering the threat model
C) Setting up authentication
D) Developing the user interface
3. What does the use of dedicated secret or key management systems provide?
A) Increased application complexity
B) Reduced administrative overhead
C) Additional security protection
D) Easier debugging
4. Which of the following is NOT a level where encryption can be performed?
A) Application level
B) Database level
C) User interface level
D) Hardware level
5. What is the best way to protect sensitive information, such as credit card details?
A) Encrypt the data and store it
B) Minimize the storage of sensitive information
C) Use weak encryption algorithms
D) Store the data in a database with restricted access
6. Which symmetric encryption algorithm is preferred for secure encryption?
A) AES with a key size of at least 128 bits
B) DES with a key size of 56 bits
C) RSA with a key size of 2048 bits
D) RC4
7. What is the preferred asymmetric encryption algorithm for secure data transmission?
A) RSA with a key size of 1024 bits
B) RSA with a key size of 2048 bits
C) Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) with Curve25519
D) Diffie-Hellman
8. Which cipher mode should always be used when available to ensure both confidentiality and integrity?
A) ECB
B) CBC
C) GCM or CCM
D) CTR
9. Why should ECB mode be avoided in encryption?
A) It does not provide confidentiality
B) It introduces performance overhead
C) It does not ensure data authenticity
D) It is the least secure cipher mode
10. In RSA encryption, what must be enabled to protect against Known Plaintext Attacks?
A) Random Padding (OAEP)
B) Initialization Vector (IV)
C) Padding Schema (PKCS#1)
D) Key Derivation Function (KDF)
11. What is the difference between Pseudo-Random Number Generators (PRNGs) and Cryptographically Secure Pseudo-Random Number Generators (CSPRNGs)?
A) PRNGs are suitable for security-critical tasks; CSPRNGs are not
B) PRNGs are faster but less secure than CSPRNGs
C) CSPRNGs are faster and more secure than PRNGs
D) PRNGs generate truly random numbers, while CSPRNGs generate predictable numbers
12. Which of the following is a CSPRNG function in Python?
A) random()
B) secrets()
C) rand()
D) Math.random()
13. What type of UUID provides randomness for generation?
A) Version 1 UUID
B) Version 4 UUID
C) Version 3 UUID
D) Version 5 UUID
14. What is the principle of "Defence in Depth" in application security?
A) Rely on the cryptographic strength of a single control
B) Apply multiple layers of security to prevent failure
C) Use encryption to protect all data, without additional measures
D) Focus only on access control
15. Which process is essential for effective key management?
A) Generating weak keys for faster encryption
B) Not rotating keys once set
C) Having formal processes for key rotation and decommissioning
D) Storing keys in plaintext
16. What is the primary reason for rotating encryption keys periodically?
A) To comply with legal requirements
B) To reduce the computational overhead
C) To prevent keys from being compromised
D) To simplify key management
17. Which of the following is a secure key storage solution?
A) Storing keys in environment variables
B) Using an external secrets management service like HashiCorp Vault
C) Hard-coding keys in application code
D) Storing keys in plaintext configuration files
18. Where should encryption keys be stored to minimize risk?
A) In the same location as the encrypted data
B) In a separate location from the encrypted data
C) In a shared environment accessible to all users
D) In plaintext within the source code
19. What is the role of the Key Encryption Key (KEK) in key management?
A) It is used to encrypt sensitive user data
B) It is used to encrypt the Data Encryption Key (DEK)
C) It is used for generating random passwords
D) It is used to encrypt the database
20. What is a recommended approach when an encryption key is compromised?
A) Ignore the issue if the key was used for non-sensitive data
B) Rotate the key and use the new key for encrypting new data
C) Re-encrypt the data with the old key
D) Delete all encrypted data without changing the key
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Disclaimer: This tutorial is for educational purpose only. Individual is solely responsible for any illegal act.
