Cryptographic Attacks

Question 1

What is a Downgrade Attack?

Answer 1

Forces a system to use a weaker or standard cryptographic protocol than what its using

Question 2

What is a Collision Attack?

Answer 2

Aims to find two different inputs that produces the same hash output

Question 3

Explain the “Birthday Paradox” with the “Birthday Attack”

Answer 3

The possibility that two distinct inputs will, when processed through a hashing function will produce the same hash output

Question 4

What is Quantum Computing?

Answer 4

A computer that uses quantum mechanics to generate and manipulate quantum bits (qubits) in order to access enormous processing powers

Question 5

What is Quantum Communications?

Answer 5

A communications network that relies on qubits made of photons (light) to send multiple combinations of ones and zeroes simultaneously which results in tamper resistant and extremely fast communications

Question 6

What is Post-quantum cryptography?

Answer 6

A new kind of cryptographic algorithm that can be implemented using todays classical computers but is also impervious to attacks from future quantum computers