200-201 Question 123
Single answerA cybersecurity analyst is tasked with securing data transmitted between two remote locations over an untrusted network. The analyst decides to implement an encryption method to ensure confidentiality but also wants to ensure that the encryption method requires the same key for both encryption and decryption. Which type of encryption should the analyst choose?
- A
Asymmetric encryption
- B
Symmetric encryption
- C
Hashing
- D
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Symmetric encryption is the correct choice because it uses the same key for both encryption and decryption. This makes it suitable for scenarios where secure communication can be established by sharing a single key between the two parties. In contrast, asymmetric encryption and ECC rely on key pairs, and hashing is not an encryption method.
- A. Incorrect.
Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys (public and private) and is not suitable when the same key is to be used for encryption and decryption.
- B. Correct.
Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, making it the correct choice in this scenario.
- C. Incorrect.
Hashing is a one-way function and does not involve encryption and decryption processes, so it is not appropriate for securing transmitted data.
- D. Incorrect.
Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is a type of asymmetric encryption that uses key pairs rather than a single shared key, making it unsuitable for this requirement.