200-201 Question 161
Single answerYou are a cybersecurity analyst investigating encrypted communication between two endpoints on a network. The traffic involves large amounts of data being exchanged rapidly. Which encryption method is most likely being used for this communication, and why?
- A
Asymmetric encryption, because it provides faster encryption and decryption for large data transfers.
- B
Symmetric encryption, because it is more efficient for encrypting large volumes of data.
- C
Asymmetric encryption, because it uses public and private keys to ensure secure communication.
- D
Symmetric encryption, because it simplifies key exchange and reduces computational overhead.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Symmetric encryption is the preferred method for encrypting large amounts of data due to its efficiency and lower computational demands. While asymmetric encryption is often used for secure key exchange or small-scale encryption tasks, it is not suitable for rapid encryption of large data volumes due to its higher computational complexity.
- A. Incorrect.
Asymmetric encryption is slower and less efficient for encrypting large data transfers due to the computational complexity of public and private key operations.
- B. Correct.
Symmetric encryption is more efficient for encrypting large volumes of data because it uses a single shared secret key and requires less computational power compared to asymmetric encryption.
- C. Incorrect.
While asymmetric encryption does use public and private keys to secure communication, this method is typically used for key exchange or small data transfers, not for encrypting large amounts of data.
- D. Incorrect.
Symmetric encryption does not simplify key exchange; in fact, securely sharing the symmetric key is a challenge. However, it does reduce computational overhead during the encryption process.