Cryptographic Solutions Flashcards
(75 cards)
1
Q
What is cryptography?
A
Practice and study of writing and solving codes
Involves encryption to hide information’s true meaning.
2
Q
What does encryption do?
A
Converts plaintext to ciphertext
Provides data protection at rest, in transit, and in use.
3
Q
Define Data at Rest.
A
Inactive data on storage devices.
4
Q
Define Data in Transit.
A
Data moving across networks.
5
Q
Define Data in Use.
A
Data currently undergoing change.
6
Q
What is an algorithm in the context of cryptography?
A
A cipher that performs encryption or decryption.
7
Q
What role does a key play in cryptography?
A
Essential for determining cipher output.
8
Q
How is key strength determined?
A
By key length, which is proportional to security.
9
Q
What is key rotation?
A
Best practice for security longevity.
10
Q
What is symmetric encryption?
A
Uses the same key for encryption and decryption.
11
Q
What is asymmetric encryption?
A
Uses a pair of keys for encryption and decryption.
12
Q
List examples of symmetric algorithms.
A
- DES
- Triple DES
- IDEA
- AES
- Blowfish
- Twofish
- Rivest Cipher
13
Q
List examples of asymmetric algorithms.
A
- Diffie-Hellman
- RSA
- Elliptic Curve Cryptography
14
Q
What does hashing do?
A
Converts data into a fixed-size string (digest) using hash functions.
15
Q
What are common hashing algorithms?
A
- MD5
- SHA Family
- RIPEMD
- HMAC
16
Q
What is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?
A
Framework managing digital keys and certificates for secure data transfer.
17
Q
What is a digital certificate?
A
Electronic credentials verifying entity identity for secure communications.
18
Q
What is blockchain?
A
Decentralized, immutable ledger ensuring data integrity and transparency.
19
Q
List encryption tools.
A
- TPM
- HSM
- Key Management Systems
- Secure Enclave
20
Q
What is Obfuscation in cryptography?
A
Techniques to obscure data, including steganography, tokenization, and data masking.
21
Q
What are common cryptographic attacks?
A
- Downgrade Attacks
- Collision Attacks
- Quantum Computing Threats
22
Q
True or False: Symmetric encryption uses different keys for encryption and decryption.
A
False.
23
Q
What is a stream cipher?
A
Encrypts data bit-by-bit or byte-by-byte in a continuous stream.
24
Q
What is a block cipher?
A
Breaks input data into fixed-size blocks before encryption.
25
Describe DES.
Uses a 64-bit key, encrypts data in 64-bit blocks through 16 rounds of transposition and substitution.
26
What is Triple DES?
Utilizes three 56-bit keys for encryption and decryption.
27
What is AES?
Replaced DES and 3DES as the US government encryption standard.
28
What is the purpose of public key cryptography?
No shared secret key required; uses a key pair for encryption and decryption.
29
What does a digital signature ensure?
Integrity of the message and non-repudiation.
30
What is the purpose of salting in hashing?
Adds random data to passwords before hashing to ensure distinct hash outputs.
31
What is key escrow?
Storage of cryptographic keys in a secure, third-party location.
32
List types of digital certificates.
* Wildcard Certificate
* SAN (Subject Alternate Name) field
33
What is the purpose of key stretching?
Mitigates a weaker key by creating longer, more secure keys.
34
What is a pass the hash attack?
Technique that allows an attacker to authenticate using the underlying hash of a user's password.
35
What is a birthday attack?
Occurs when two different messages result in the same hash digest (collision).
36
What is the X.509 Standard used for?
Commonly used standard for digital certificates within PKI
## Footnote
It contains owner's/user's information and certificate authority details.
37
What is a Wildcard Certificate?
Allows multiple subdomains to use the same certificate
## Footnote
Easier management, cost-effective for subdomains, but compromise affects all subdomains.
38
What is the purpose of the SAN field in a digital certificate?
Specifies what additional domains and IP addresses will be supported
## Footnote
Used when domain names don’t have the same root domain.
39
What is the difference between Single-Sided and Dual-Sided Certificates?
Single-sided requires only the server to be validated; Dual-sided requires both server and user validation
## Footnote
Dual-sided offers higher security but requires more processing power.
40
What are Self-Signed Certificates?
Digital certificate signed by the same entity whose identity it certifies
## Footnote
Provides encryption but lacks third-party trust; used in testing or closed systems.
41
What are Third-Party Certificates?
Digital certificate issued and signed by trusted certificate authorities (CAs)
## Footnote
Trusted by browsers and systems; preferred for public-facing websites.
42
What is the Root of Trust?
Highest level of trust in certificate validation
## Footnote
Trusted third-party providers like Verisign, Google, etc.
43
What role does a Certificate Authority (CA) play?
Issues digital certificates and validates/manages them
## Footnote
Certificates contain CA's information and digital signature.
44
What is a Registration Authority (RA)?
Requests identifying information from the user and forwards certificate request to the CA
## Footnote
Assists in the certificate issuance process.
45
What is a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)?
A block of encoded text with information about the entity requesting the certificate
## Footnote
Includes the public key and is submitted to CA for certificate issuance.
46
What does a Certificate Revocation List (CRL) contain?
List of all digital certificates that the CA has revoked
## Footnote
Checked before validating a certificate.
47
True or False: Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) is faster but less secure than CRL.
True
## Footnote
OCSP determines certificate revocation status using the certificate's serial number.
48
What is OCSP Stapling?
Alternative to OCSP that allows the certificate holder to get the OCSP record from the server at regular intervals
## Footnote
Speeds up the secure tunnel creation by including the OCSP record in the SSL/TLS handshake.
49
What is Public Key Pinning?
Allows an HTTPS website to resist impersonation attacks by presenting trusted public keys to browsers
## Footnote
Alerts users if a fraudulent certificate is detected.
50
What do Key Escrow Agents do?
Securely store copies of private keys
## Footnote
Ensures key recovery in case of loss and requires strong access controls.
51
What is the function of Key Recovery Agents?
Allows the restoration of a lost or corrupted key
## Footnote
Acts as a backup for certificate authority keys.
52
What is blockchain?
Shared immutable ledger for transactions and asset tracking
## Footnote
Builds trust and transparency and is widely associated with cryptocurrencies.
53
What is the structure of a block in blockchain?
Contains previous block's hash, timestamp, and root transactions
## Footnote
Blocks are linked together in a chronological order.
54
What are Smart Contracts?
Self-executing contracts with code-defined terms
## Footnote
Execute actions automatically when conditions are met.
55
How does blockchain enhance Supply Chain Management?
Provides transparency and traceability in the supply chain
## Footnote
Ensures compliance and quality control with immutable records.
56
What does decentralization in blockchain refer to?
Eliminates the need for central authorities
## Footnote
Empowers peer-to-peer networks.
57
What is a TPM (Trusted Platform Module)?
Dedicated microcontroller for hardware-level security
## Footnote
Protects digital secrets through integrated cryptographic keys.
58
What is the purpose of an HSM (Hardware Security Module)?
Safeguards and manages digital keys in a tamper-proof environment
## Footnote
Ideal for mission-critical scenarios like financial transactions.
59
What is Tokenization?
Substitutes sensitive data with non-sensitive tokens
## Footnote
Reduces exposure of sensitive data during transactions.
60
What are the techniques used in cryptographic attacks?
Downgrade attacks, collision attacks, and quantum computing threats
## Footnote
Each technique exploits vulnerabilities in cryptographic systems.
61
What is a Downgrade Attack?
Forces systems to use weaker or older cryptographic standards
## Footnote
Exploits known vulnerabilities in outdated versions.
62
What is a Collision Attack?
Finds two different inputs producing the same hash output
## Footnote
Undermines data integrity verification relying on hash functions.
63
What is Quantum Computing?
Uses quantum mechanics to generate and manipulate quantum bits
## Footnote
Provides enormous processing power and poses a threat to traditional encryption.
64
What is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
Cryptographic algorithm resistant to attacks from future quantum computers
## Footnote
Aims to create algorithms that maintain security against quantum threats.
65
What is DES?
Data Encryption Standard
- used 64-bit key
- widely used from 1970s to 2000s
66
What is Diffie-Hellman?
Assymetric cryptographic technique
- securely exchange cryptographic keys over public channels
- 2 parties can generate a shared secret without having previously met
67
What is RSA?
Stands for Ron RIvest, Adi Shamir, Leonard Adeleman
-assymetric cryptographic solution
-relies on mathematical difficult of factoring large prime numbers
- wiely used in organizations and Multi-Factor Authentication
68
What is ECC?
Elliptic Curve Cryptography
- used algebraic structure of elliptical curve
- used in modile devices
- 6 times more efficient than RSA
69
What is MD5?
Message Digest Algorithm
-creates a 128-bit Hash value
-has limited unique values which can lead to collisions
- not recommended for security
70
What is HMAC?
Hash-based Message Authentication Code
- checks message integrity and authenticity
- used other hashing algorithims as well
71
What is RIPEMD?
RACE Integrity Primitive Evaluation Message Digest
- open source competitor to SHA but Less Popular
72
What is SHA-256?
Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit
- one of the most secure hashing algorithms
-resistant against collisin attacks
73
What is Tokenization?
Substitutes sensitive data with Non-Sensitive Tokens
- original data is stored elsewhere
-reduces exposre during transactin
-Commonly used for Payment Systems
74
What is Data Masking?
Data Obfuscation
- disguised original data to protect sensitive information
75
What is Stenography?
Stealth (hint)
Conceals a message within another to hide its very existence
