Test Bank for WGU D430 Fundamentals of
Information Security 2025 – 100% Verified
Questions and Detailed Correct Answers |
Objective Assessment | Graded A+
Cryptography & Encryption (20 Questions)
Question 1
What does DES stand for, and how many times does it encrypt each block with a different key?
A. Data Encryption System, two times
B. Digital Encryption Standard, four times
C. Data Encryption Security, one time
D. Data Encryption Standard, three times
Correct Answer: D
Rationale:
D (Correct): DES (Data Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher that encrypts each
block three times with different keys in its 3DES implementation, enhancing security
over single DES, per NIST standards.
A (Incorrect): Data Encryption System is not the correct term for DES.
B (Incorrect): Digital Encryption Standard is incorrect, and four encryptions are not used.
C (Incorrect): Data Encryption Security is incorrect, and single encryption is less secure.
Question 2
Which cryptography method uses a single key for both encryption and decryption?
A. Asymmetric cryptography
B. Symmetric cryptography
C. Hashing
D. Digital signatures
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
, B (Correct): Symmetric cryptography uses a single key for both encryption and decryption,
also known as private key cryptography, per the course textbook.
A (Incorrect): Asymmetric cryptography uses a public-private key pair.
C (Incorrect): Hashing creates a fixed-length digest and is not used for encryption.
D (Incorrect): Digital signatures use asymmetric keys for authentication, not encryption.
Question 3
What is the primary purpose of a hash function in cryptography?
A. To encrypt data for secure transmission
B. To verify data integrity
C. To authenticate user identity
D. To establish a secure VPN
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): Hash functions generate a fixed-length digest to verify data integrity, ensuring
data has not been altered, per course materials.
A (Incorrect): Hash functions do not encrypt data; they produce a digest.
C (Incorrect): Authentication is handled by passwords or biometrics, not hashes.
D (Incorrect): VPNs use encryption protocols, not hash functions.
Question 4
Which symmetric key algorithm is endorsed by NIST as a replacement for DES?
A. 3DES
B. AES
C. RSA
D. SHA-256
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher endorsed by
NIST as the replacement for DES, using 128, 192, or 256-bit keys.
A (Incorrect): 3DES is an enhancement of DES but not the standard replacement.
C (Incorrect): RSA is an asymmetric algorithm, not symmetric.
, D (Incorrect): SHA-256 is a hash function, not an encryption algorithm.
Question 5
A company uses asymmetric cryptography to secure email communication. Which key is shared
with everyone?
A. Private key
B. Public key
C. Session key
D. Symmetric key
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): In asymmetric cryptography, the public key is shared to encrypt data, while the
private key is kept secret for decryption, per course materials.
A (Incorrect): The private key is never shared.
C (Incorrect): Session keys are used in symmetric encryption for temporary sessions.
D (Incorrect): Symmetric keys are not used in asymmetric cryptography.
Question 6
What is the science of breaking through encryption called?
A. Hashing
B. Cryptanalysis
C. Key exchange
D. Digital signing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): Cryptanalysis is the science of analyzing and breaking encryption schemes to
access protected data.
A (Incorrect): Hashing creates digests, not breaks encryption.
C (Incorrect): Key exchange facilitates secure key sharing, not breaking encryption.
D (Incorrect): Digital signing verifies authenticity, not breaks encryption.
Question 7
, Which protocol uses asymmetric cryptography to secure web communications?
A. FTP
B. TLS
C. SNMP
D. HTTP
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): TLS (Transport Layer Security) uses asymmetric cryptography for key
exchange and symmetric cryptography for data transfer to secure web communications.
A (Incorrect): FTP does not inherently use encryption.
C (Incorrect): SNMP is for network management, not secure communication.
D (Incorrect): HTTP is unencrypted; HTTPS uses TLS.
Question 8
A stream cipher encrypts data in which manner?
A. In fixed-size blocks of 64 bits
B. One bit at a time
C. Using a public-private key pair
D. By creating a fixed-length digest
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): A stream cipher encrypts each bit of plaintext one at a time, suitable for real-
time data, per course materials.
A (Incorrect): Block ciphers encrypt fixed-size blocks, not stream ciphers.
C (Incorrect): Public-private key pairs are used in asymmetric cryptography.
D (Incorrect): Digests are created by hash functions, not ciphers.
Question 9
What is the purpose of a digital signature?
A. To encrypt sensitive data
B. To verify authenticity and integrity
C. To establish a VPN connection
D. To generate a random key
Information Security 2025 – 100% Verified
Questions and Detailed Correct Answers |
Objective Assessment | Graded A+
Cryptography & Encryption (20 Questions)
Question 1
What does DES stand for, and how many times does it encrypt each block with a different key?
A. Data Encryption System, two times
B. Digital Encryption Standard, four times
C. Data Encryption Security, one time
D. Data Encryption Standard, three times
Correct Answer: D
Rationale:
D (Correct): DES (Data Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher that encrypts each
block three times with different keys in its 3DES implementation, enhancing security
over single DES, per NIST standards.
A (Incorrect): Data Encryption System is not the correct term for DES.
B (Incorrect): Digital Encryption Standard is incorrect, and four encryptions are not used.
C (Incorrect): Data Encryption Security is incorrect, and single encryption is less secure.
Question 2
Which cryptography method uses a single key for both encryption and decryption?
A. Asymmetric cryptography
B. Symmetric cryptography
C. Hashing
D. Digital signatures
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
, B (Correct): Symmetric cryptography uses a single key for both encryption and decryption,
also known as private key cryptography, per the course textbook.
A (Incorrect): Asymmetric cryptography uses a public-private key pair.
C (Incorrect): Hashing creates a fixed-length digest and is not used for encryption.
D (Incorrect): Digital signatures use asymmetric keys for authentication, not encryption.
Question 3
What is the primary purpose of a hash function in cryptography?
A. To encrypt data for secure transmission
B. To verify data integrity
C. To authenticate user identity
D. To establish a secure VPN
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): Hash functions generate a fixed-length digest to verify data integrity, ensuring
data has not been altered, per course materials.
A (Incorrect): Hash functions do not encrypt data; they produce a digest.
C (Incorrect): Authentication is handled by passwords or biometrics, not hashes.
D (Incorrect): VPNs use encryption protocols, not hash functions.
Question 4
Which symmetric key algorithm is endorsed by NIST as a replacement for DES?
A. 3DES
B. AES
C. RSA
D. SHA-256
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher endorsed by
NIST as the replacement for DES, using 128, 192, or 256-bit keys.
A (Incorrect): 3DES is an enhancement of DES but not the standard replacement.
C (Incorrect): RSA is an asymmetric algorithm, not symmetric.
, D (Incorrect): SHA-256 is a hash function, not an encryption algorithm.
Question 5
A company uses asymmetric cryptography to secure email communication. Which key is shared
with everyone?
A. Private key
B. Public key
C. Session key
D. Symmetric key
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): In asymmetric cryptography, the public key is shared to encrypt data, while the
private key is kept secret for decryption, per course materials.
A (Incorrect): The private key is never shared.
C (Incorrect): Session keys are used in symmetric encryption for temporary sessions.
D (Incorrect): Symmetric keys are not used in asymmetric cryptography.
Question 6
What is the science of breaking through encryption called?
A. Hashing
B. Cryptanalysis
C. Key exchange
D. Digital signing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): Cryptanalysis is the science of analyzing and breaking encryption schemes to
access protected data.
A (Incorrect): Hashing creates digests, not breaks encryption.
C (Incorrect): Key exchange facilitates secure key sharing, not breaking encryption.
D (Incorrect): Digital signing verifies authenticity, not breaks encryption.
Question 7
, Which protocol uses asymmetric cryptography to secure web communications?
A. FTP
B. TLS
C. SNMP
D. HTTP
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): TLS (Transport Layer Security) uses asymmetric cryptography for key
exchange and symmetric cryptography for data transfer to secure web communications.
A (Incorrect): FTP does not inherently use encryption.
C (Incorrect): SNMP is for network management, not secure communication.
D (Incorrect): HTTP is unencrypted; HTTPS uses TLS.
Question 8
A stream cipher encrypts data in which manner?
A. In fixed-size blocks of 64 bits
B. One bit at a time
C. Using a public-private key pair
D. By creating a fixed-length digest
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
B (Correct): A stream cipher encrypts each bit of plaintext one at a time, suitable for real-
time data, per course materials.
A (Incorrect): Block ciphers encrypt fixed-size blocks, not stream ciphers.
C (Incorrect): Public-private key pairs are used in asymmetric cryptography.
D (Incorrect): Digests are created by hash functions, not ciphers.
Question 9
What is the purpose of a digital signature?
A. To encrypt sensitive data
B. To verify authenticity and integrity
C. To establish a VPN connection
D. To generate a random key
