200-201 Question 122
Single answerA cybersecurity analyst is tasked with ensuring that sensitive emails sent by employees are protected from unauthorized access during transmission. Which encryption method would be most appropriate for this scenario?
- A
Symmetric encryption using a shared key
- B
Asymmetric encryption using public and private keys
- C
Hashing the email contents
- D
Encrypting the email contents with a one-time pad
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Asymmetric encryption is the most appropriate method for securing email communication because it ensures confidentiality during transmission. The sender can encrypt the email with the recipient's public key, and only the recipient, who possesses the private key, can decrypt it. This method effectively protects sensitive data from unauthorized access while in transit.
- A. Incorrect.
Symmetric encryption requires both the sender and recipient to have the same shared key, which can be difficult to manage securely in email communication. This is not the most appropriate method for widespread email protection.
- B. Correct.
Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys (public and private) where the public key can be used to encrypt the email, and only the recipient with the private key can decrypt it. This is the most appropriate method for securing emails during transmission.
- C. Incorrect.
Hashing is a process that generates a fixed-length hash value from data, which is useful for ensuring the integrity of the email but does not provide confidentiality, as it cannot be reversed to access the original content.
- D. Incorrect.
A one-time pad offers perfect secrecy but is impractical for regular use in email communication due to the need for a pre-shared, long, truly random key that must be as long as the message itself.