WGU D334 – Introduction to Cryptography Objective
Assessment (Oa) Practice Exam| Complete Exam Questions with
Verified Correct Answers and Detailed Rationales – Latest
Update 2026/2027 | Graded A+
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of cryptography?
A. Increasing network bandwidth
B. Protecting information through secure communication techniques
C. Eliminating all cybersecurity threats
D. Replacing authentication systems
Correct Answer: B. Protecting information through secure
communication techniques
Rationale:
Cryptography is the practice of securing information by transforming data
into a protected format. It helps provide confidentiality, integrity,
authentication, and non-repudiation.
Question 2
Which security principle ensures that information is accessible only to
authorized individuals?
A. Integrity
B. Availability
C. Confidentiality
D. Authentication
Correct Answer: C. Confidentiality
Rationale:
Confidentiality prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Encryption is one of the primary methods used to maintain confidentiality.
pg. 1
,Question 3
A company uses hashing to verify that a downloaded file has not been altered.
Which security objective is being addressed?
A. Confidentiality
B. Integrity
C. Availability
D. Authorization
Correct Answer: B. Integrity
Rationale:
Hashing creates a unique digital fingerprint of data. If the hash changes, the
file has likely been modified, indicating a loss of integrity.
Question 4
Which type of cryptography uses the same key for encryption and decryption?
A. Asymmetric cryptography
B. Symmetric cryptography
C. Hash-based cryptography
D. Public key infrastructure
Correct Answer: B. Symmetric cryptography
Rationale:
Symmetric encryption uses a single shared secret key. The sender and
receiver must both have access to the same key.
Question 5
Which algorithm is an example of symmetric encryption?
pg. 2
,A. RSA
B. ECC
C. AES
D. Diffie-Hellman
Correct Answer: C. AES
Rationale:
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a widely used symmetric encryption
algorithm. RSA and ECC use asymmetric methods.
Question 6
What is the major advantage of asymmetric cryptography compared with
symmetric cryptography?
A. It uses smaller keys
B. It eliminates the need for encryption
C. It allows secure communication without sharing a private key beforehand
D. It is always faster
Correct Answer: C. It allows secure communication without sharing a
private key beforehand
Rationale:
Asymmetric cryptography uses a public key and private key pair, allowing
users to communicate securely without exchanging a secret key first.
Question 7
Which key is used to encrypt data in a public key encryption system?
A. Private key only
B. Public key
C. Hash key
D. Session key
pg. 3
, Correct Answer: B. Public key
Rationale:
In asymmetric encryption, the sender encrypts information using the
recipient’s public key. The recipient decrypts it using their private key.
Question 8
Which key must remain secret in an asymmetric cryptography system?
A. Public key
B. Certificate key
C. Private key
D. Hash value
Correct Answer: C. Private key
Rationale:
The private key must be protected because anyone who obtains it can decrypt
information or impersonate the key owner.
Question 9
What is the primary purpose of a cryptographic hash function?
A. Encrypt large amounts of data
B. Create a fixed-length representation of data
C. Exchange encryption keys
D. Generate usernames
Correct Answer: B. Create a fixed-length representation of data
Rationale:
Hash functions convert data of any size into a fixed-length output called a hash
value or digest.
pg. 4
Assessment (Oa) Practice Exam| Complete Exam Questions with
Verified Correct Answers and Detailed Rationales – Latest
Update 2026/2027 | Graded A+
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of cryptography?
A. Increasing network bandwidth
B. Protecting information through secure communication techniques
C. Eliminating all cybersecurity threats
D. Replacing authentication systems
Correct Answer: B. Protecting information through secure
communication techniques
Rationale:
Cryptography is the practice of securing information by transforming data
into a protected format. It helps provide confidentiality, integrity,
authentication, and non-repudiation.
Question 2
Which security principle ensures that information is accessible only to
authorized individuals?
A. Integrity
B. Availability
C. Confidentiality
D. Authentication
Correct Answer: C. Confidentiality
Rationale:
Confidentiality prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Encryption is one of the primary methods used to maintain confidentiality.
pg. 1
,Question 3
A company uses hashing to verify that a downloaded file has not been altered.
Which security objective is being addressed?
A. Confidentiality
B. Integrity
C. Availability
D. Authorization
Correct Answer: B. Integrity
Rationale:
Hashing creates a unique digital fingerprint of data. If the hash changes, the
file has likely been modified, indicating a loss of integrity.
Question 4
Which type of cryptography uses the same key for encryption and decryption?
A. Asymmetric cryptography
B. Symmetric cryptography
C. Hash-based cryptography
D. Public key infrastructure
Correct Answer: B. Symmetric cryptography
Rationale:
Symmetric encryption uses a single shared secret key. The sender and
receiver must both have access to the same key.
Question 5
Which algorithm is an example of symmetric encryption?
pg. 2
,A. RSA
B. ECC
C. AES
D. Diffie-Hellman
Correct Answer: C. AES
Rationale:
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a widely used symmetric encryption
algorithm. RSA and ECC use asymmetric methods.
Question 6
What is the major advantage of asymmetric cryptography compared with
symmetric cryptography?
A. It uses smaller keys
B. It eliminates the need for encryption
C. It allows secure communication without sharing a private key beforehand
D. It is always faster
Correct Answer: C. It allows secure communication without sharing a
private key beforehand
Rationale:
Asymmetric cryptography uses a public key and private key pair, allowing
users to communicate securely without exchanging a secret key first.
Question 7
Which key is used to encrypt data in a public key encryption system?
A. Private key only
B. Public key
C. Hash key
D. Session key
pg. 3
, Correct Answer: B. Public key
Rationale:
In asymmetric encryption, the sender encrypts information using the
recipient’s public key. The recipient decrypts it using their private key.
Question 8
Which key must remain secret in an asymmetric cryptography system?
A. Public key
B. Certificate key
C. Private key
D. Hash value
Correct Answer: C. Private key
Rationale:
The private key must be protected because anyone who obtains it can decrypt
information or impersonate the key owner.
Question 9
What is the primary purpose of a cryptographic hash function?
A. Encrypt large amounts of data
B. Create a fixed-length representation of data
C. Exchange encryption keys
D. Generate usernames
Correct Answer: B. Create a fixed-length representation of data
Rationale:
Hash functions convert data of any size into a fixed-length output called a hash
value or digest.
pg. 4
