🔐 Cryptography – Short Definitions & 30 MCQs
🧾 Short Definitions & Concepts
1. Plaintext – Original readable message or data before encryption.
Example: “Hello” is plaintext.
2. Ciphertext – Encrypted form of plaintext; unreadable without key.
Example: “Xlmw mw e tistpi” could be ciphertext.
3. Encryption – Process of converting plaintext into ciphertext using an algorithm and a
key.
4. Decryption – Reversing encryption to get original plaintext from ciphertext.
5. Key – A piece of information controlling the encryption/decryption process.
6. Symmetric Key Cryptography – Same key used for both encryption and decryption.
Example: DES, AES.
7. Asymmetric Key Cryptography – Uses public key for encryption and private key for
decryption.
Example: RSA.
8. Block Cipher – Encrypts data in fixed-size blocks (e.g., 64/128 bits).
Example: AES, DES.
9. Stream Cipher – Encrypts data bit-by-bit or byte-by-byte.
Example: RC4.
10. Hash Function – Converts variable-length input into fixed-length output (digest).
Example: SHA-256, MD5.
11. Digital Signature – Used to verify the authenticity and integrity of a message.
12. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) – Framework managing digital certificates and keys.
13. Certificate Authority (CA) – Trusted entity that issues digital certificates.
14. Steganography – Hiding data inside another medium, like an image or audio.
15. Cryptanalysis – Study of breaking cryptographic systems or finding weaknesses.
16. Brute Force Attack – Trying every possible key to decrypt ciphertext.
17. Frequency Analysis – Used to break substitution ciphers by studying letter frequency.
18. Integrity – Ensuring that data is not altered during transmission.
19. Non-Repudiation – Sender cannot deny sending a message (ensured by digital
signatures).
20. Authentication – Verifying the identity of a user or system.
🧠 30 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Which of the following is plaintext?
A) Encrypted text
B) Decrypted text
C) Original readable text
D) Binary code
✅ Answer: C
2. Encryption converts plaintext into:
A) Binary
B) Hash
C) Ciphertext
D) ASCII
✅ Answer: C
3. Which algorithm uses same key for encryption and decryption?
A) RSA
B) AES
C) Diffie-Hellman
D) ECC
✅ Answer: B
4. In asymmetric encryption, which key is used for decryption?
A) Public key
B) Shared key
C) Private key
D) Session key
✅ Answer: C
5. Which of these is a block cipher?
A) RC4
B) AES
C) RSA
D) SHA-256
✅ Answer: B
6. What does a hash function produce?
A) Random numbers
B) Fixed-length digest
C) Encrypted text
D) Plaintext
✅ Answer: B
7. Which of these algorithms is asymmetric?
A) DES
B) AES
C) RSA
D) Blowfish
✅ Answer: C
8. Digital signatures provide:
A) Encryption
B) Authentication and Integrity
C) Confidentiality only
D) Compression
✅ Answer: B
9. The main drawback of symmetric key encryption is:
A) Speed
B) Key distribution
C) Simplicity
D) Hash collision
✅ Answer: B
10. MD5 generates a hash of:
A) 64 bits
B) 128 bits
C) 256 bits
D) 512 bits
✅ Answer: B
11. AES uses block size of:
A) 64 bits
B) 128 bits
C) 192 bits
D) 256 bits
✅ Answer: B
12. The process of breaking a cipher is called:
A) Cryptology
B) Cryptography
C) Cryptanalysis
D) Decryption
✅ Answer: C
13. Public key cryptography was first proposed by:
A) Rivest
B) Diffie and Hellman
C) AES
D) Shannon
✅ Answer: B
14. In RSA, the public key consists of:
A) (p, q)
B) (n, e)
C) (e, d)
D) (n, d)
✅ Answer: B
15. Steganography hides information in:
A) Ciphertext
B) Images or media files
C) Random numbers
D) Hash values
✅ Answer: B
16. SHA-256 produces a digest of:
A) 64 bits
B) 128 bits
C) 256 bits
D) 512 bits
✅ Answer: C
17. Which one is not a symmetric algorithm?
A) DES
B) Blowfish
C) RSA
D) AES
✅ Answer: C
18. Non-repudiation ensures:
A) Message secrecy
B) Sender cannot deny sending message
C) Encryption strength
D) Random key generation
✅ Answer: B
19. Certificate Authority is responsible for:
A) Encrypting messages
B) Issuing digital certificates
C) Key generation only
D) Storing user passwords
✅ Answer: B
20. Diffie-Hellman is used for:
A) Encryption
B) Key exchange
C) Hashing
D) Digital signing
✅ Answer: B
21. Which type of cipher encrypts bit by bit?
A) Block cipher
B) Stream cipher
C) Hybrid cipher
D) None
✅ Answer: B
22. Which cryptographic property ensures data accuracy?
A) Confidentiality
B) Integrity
C) Availability
D) Authenticity
✅ Answer: B
23. Brute-force attack means:
A) Using dictionary words
B) Guessing all possible keys
C) Sending fake emails
D) Stealing hash tables
✅ Answer: B
24. DES stands for:
A) Digital Encryption Standard
B) Data Encryption Standard
C) Dual Encryption System
D) Distributed Encryption Service
✅ Answer: B
25. Which of the following is a hash function?
A) AES
B) RSA
C) SHA-1
D) Blowfish
✅ Answer: C
26. The key pair in RSA is composed of:
A) Two private keys
B) Two public keys
C) One public and one private key
D) Shared secret key
✅ Answer: C
27. Which one is a symmetric algorithm?
A) RSA
B) AES
C) ECC
D) Diffie-Hellman
✅ Answer: B
28. Integrity in cryptography means:
A) Data is not modified
B) Data is secret
C) Data is available
D) Data is compressed
✅ Answer: A
29. SSL/TLS protocols use:
A) Only symmetric encryption
B) Only asymmetric encryption
C) Both symmetric and asymmetric
D) No encryption
✅ Answer: C
30. PGP is used for:
A) Secure web browsing
B) Email encryption
C) File compression
D) VPN tunneling
✅ Answer: B