100-160 Question 43
Select 2A company is transmitting sensitive customer data over the internet. To ensure the data remains secure during transmission, the company wants to use encryption. Which of the following methods would provide strong encryption and ensure secure communication?
- A
Use RSA with a 2048-bit key for encrypting the data
- B
Use AES-256 for encrypting the data
- C
Use MD5 hashing to protect the data
- D
Use a self-signed SSL/TLS certificate
- E
Use SHA-256 hashing combined with AES-256 encryption
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: B, E
Explanation
To secure sensitive data during transmission, strong encryption algorithms like AES-256 should be used for confidentiality. Additionally, combining encryption with secure hashing (e.g., SHA-256) ensures data integrity as well. RSA is a strong algorithm for encrypting keys but is not efficient for encrypting large amounts of data. MD5 and self-signed certificates are not considered secure for protecting sensitive information.
- A. Incorrect.
RSA with a 2048-bit key is a strong encryption method for encrypting keys, but it is not typically used for encrypting large amounts of data directly due to performance issues.
- B. Correct.
AES-256 is a strong symmetric encryption algorithm that is widely used to protect sensitive data during transmission. It is highly secure and efficient for encrypting large datasets.
- C. Incorrect.
MD5 is a hashing algorithm, not an encryption algorithm. It is considered weak and vulnerable to collision attacks, making it unsuitable for securing sensitive data.
- D. Incorrect.
A self-signed SSL/TLS certificate does not inherently ensure secure communication because it lacks trust from a third-party Certificate Authority (CA). This can make it vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.
- E. Correct.
SHA-256 is a secure hashing algorithm often used for data integrity, and when combined with AES-256 encryption, it ensures both confidentiality and integrity of the transmitted data.