WGU D334 INTRO TO CRYPTOGRAPHY PRE-ASSESSMENT 2026/2027
| COMPLETE EXAM PREP | HIGH-YIELD PRACTICE QUESTIONS &
VERIFIED ANSWERS| COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE | LATEST
UPDATED VERSION
1. What is the term used for a value that is combined with a plaintext message in XOR
encryption to produce ciphertext?
Initialization vector
Private key
Public key
Symmetric key
2. If a business mistakenly sends its private key instead of its public key to customers, what
potential security issue could arise?
Successful digital signature verification
Inability for customers to verify the business's identity
Compromise of the business's security
Increased encryption speed for communications
3. What is one key feature of WPA-Enterprise that distinguishes it from WPA-Personal?
Support for an authentication server
Use of a session key
Support for a pre-shared key
Support for a 48-bit initialization vector
4. Which of the following is classified as a symmetric encryption algorithm?
RSA
SHA
AES
MD5
5. If you have a number x such that x mod 12 = 5, what could be a possible value for x?
, 29
17
12
5
6. In a scenario where a company needs to encrypt sensitive customer data that exceeds 1 GB,
which encryption method would be most suitable and why?
Symmetric block encryption, because it efficiently handles large data sizes with
fixed block sizes and is faster than asymmetric methods.
Asymmetric public key encryption, as it provides better security for large data sets.
Asymmetric private key encryption, because it simplifies key management for large
data.
Symmetric stream encryption, since it allows for continuous data flow.
7. Which of the following BEST describes a rainbow table?
Information about an organization's information systems.
A tool that can be used to pull information from social media postings.
Malware programs that generate a hash for the program.
A table of passwords and the computed matching hashes.
8. Describe the main difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption in terms of
key usage.
Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption,
while asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys (public and private).
Asymmetric encryption is used for bulk data encryption, while symmetric is used for
small data.
Symmetric encryption is faster than asymmetric encryption, which is always slower.
Symmetric encryption requires more computational resources than asymmetric
encryption.
,9. Describe how decentralization in blockchain technology impacts the security of Bitcoin
transactions.
Decentralization allows for easier tracking of transactions by a central authority.
Decentralization enhances security by distributing control across multiple nodes,
reducing the risk of a single point of failure.
Decentralization eliminates the need for encryption in Bitcoin transactions.
Decentralization makes Bitcoin transactions slower and less secure.
10. What is the most advanced (latest) symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a block
cipher?
RSA Rivest-Shamir-Adleman
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
DSS Digital Signature Standard
SHA Secure Hash Algorithm
11. What is true about dictionary attacks?
Involves using a predetermined list of passwords
far fewer likely passwords than possible passwords
guesses a high percentage of passwords since most people use common words as
passwords
attacker tries every possible password
Uses a list of likely passwords as the password space
12. Describe the role of the public key in establishing trust between a business and its
customers.
The public key is used to generate digital signatures for transactions.
The public key allows customers to verify the business's identity and ensure
secure communication.
The public key is kept secret to protect the business's information.
The public key is used to encrypt sensitive data before sending it to the business.
, 13. You are a network administrator responsible for ensuring secure access to internal
resources for remote employees. You need to choose the most appropriate technology to
achieve this goal. Question: Which technology is best suited for providing secure remote
access to internal resources for remote employees?
Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
Proxy Server
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
14. Describe the significance of a distributed peer-to-peer network in the context of Bitcoin
transactions.
A distributed peer-to-peer network requires a central authority to validate
transactions.
A distributed peer-to-peer network centralizes transaction data for easier access.
A distributed peer-to-peer network limits the number of participants in a
transaction.
A distributed peer-to-peer network ensures that Bitcoin transactions are securely
stored and verified across multiple nodes, enhancing security and reducing the
risk of a single point of failure.
15. Two people want to communicate through secure email. The person creating the email
wants to ensure only their friend can decrypt the email. Which key should the person
creating the email use to encrypt the message?
Sender's private key
Recipient's public key
Recipient's private key
Sender's public key
16. Describe how a dictionary attack differs from a brute-force attack in cryptography.
A dictionary attack requires knowledge of the encryption algorithm, while brute-
force does not.
| COMPLETE EXAM PREP | HIGH-YIELD PRACTICE QUESTIONS &
VERIFIED ANSWERS| COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE | LATEST
UPDATED VERSION
1. What is the term used for a value that is combined with a plaintext message in XOR
encryption to produce ciphertext?
Initialization vector
Private key
Public key
Symmetric key
2. If a business mistakenly sends its private key instead of its public key to customers, what
potential security issue could arise?
Successful digital signature verification
Inability for customers to verify the business's identity
Compromise of the business's security
Increased encryption speed for communications
3. What is one key feature of WPA-Enterprise that distinguishes it from WPA-Personal?
Support for an authentication server
Use of a session key
Support for a pre-shared key
Support for a 48-bit initialization vector
4. Which of the following is classified as a symmetric encryption algorithm?
RSA
SHA
AES
MD5
5. If you have a number x such that x mod 12 = 5, what could be a possible value for x?
, 29
17
12
5
6. In a scenario where a company needs to encrypt sensitive customer data that exceeds 1 GB,
which encryption method would be most suitable and why?
Symmetric block encryption, because it efficiently handles large data sizes with
fixed block sizes and is faster than asymmetric methods.
Asymmetric public key encryption, as it provides better security for large data sets.
Asymmetric private key encryption, because it simplifies key management for large
data.
Symmetric stream encryption, since it allows for continuous data flow.
7. Which of the following BEST describes a rainbow table?
Information about an organization's information systems.
A tool that can be used to pull information from social media postings.
Malware programs that generate a hash for the program.
A table of passwords and the computed matching hashes.
8. Describe the main difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption in terms of
key usage.
Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption,
while asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys (public and private).
Asymmetric encryption is used for bulk data encryption, while symmetric is used for
small data.
Symmetric encryption is faster than asymmetric encryption, which is always slower.
Symmetric encryption requires more computational resources than asymmetric
encryption.
,9. Describe how decentralization in blockchain technology impacts the security of Bitcoin
transactions.
Decentralization allows for easier tracking of transactions by a central authority.
Decentralization enhances security by distributing control across multiple nodes,
reducing the risk of a single point of failure.
Decentralization eliminates the need for encryption in Bitcoin transactions.
Decentralization makes Bitcoin transactions slower and less secure.
10. What is the most advanced (latest) symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a block
cipher?
RSA Rivest-Shamir-Adleman
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
DSS Digital Signature Standard
SHA Secure Hash Algorithm
11. What is true about dictionary attacks?
Involves using a predetermined list of passwords
far fewer likely passwords than possible passwords
guesses a high percentage of passwords since most people use common words as
passwords
attacker tries every possible password
Uses a list of likely passwords as the password space
12. Describe the role of the public key in establishing trust between a business and its
customers.
The public key is used to generate digital signatures for transactions.
The public key allows customers to verify the business's identity and ensure
secure communication.
The public key is kept secret to protect the business's information.
The public key is used to encrypt sensitive data before sending it to the business.
, 13. You are a network administrator responsible for ensuring secure access to internal
resources for remote employees. You need to choose the most appropriate technology to
achieve this goal. Question: Which technology is best suited for providing secure remote
access to internal resources for remote employees?
Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
Proxy Server
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
14. Describe the significance of a distributed peer-to-peer network in the context of Bitcoin
transactions.
A distributed peer-to-peer network requires a central authority to validate
transactions.
A distributed peer-to-peer network centralizes transaction data for easier access.
A distributed peer-to-peer network limits the number of participants in a
transaction.
A distributed peer-to-peer network ensures that Bitcoin transactions are securely
stored and verified across multiple nodes, enhancing security and reducing the
risk of a single point of failure.
15. Two people want to communicate through secure email. The person creating the email
wants to ensure only their friend can decrypt the email. Which key should the person
creating the email use to encrypt the message?
Sender's private key
Recipient's public key
Recipient's private key
Sender's public key
16. Describe how a dictionary attack differs from a brute-force attack in cryptography.
A dictionary attack requires knowledge of the encryption algorithm, while brute-
force does not.
