CompTIA Security+ Practice Questions: Cryptography

7 free, exam-style CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) practice questions covering Cryptography. Each question shows the correct answer and a clear explanation. Ready for the real thing? Take the full timed quiz below.

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Q1. Which cryptographic algorithm is asymmetric?

A.AES
B.SHA-256
C.RSA✓ Correct
D.HMAC

Explanation: RSA uses public/private key pairs, making it an asymmetric algorithm. Learn more.

Q2. What does TLS primarily provide for network communications?

A.Bandwidth throttling
B.Encryption and integrity✓ Correct
C.MAC address filtering
D.Quality of Service (QoS)

Explanation: TLS encrypts data in transit and verifies its integrity via hashing. Learn more.

Q3. What is the PRIMARY purpose of hashing?

A.Encrypt data for transmission
B.Verify data integrity✓ Correct
C.Compress files
D.Authenticate users

Explanation: Hashing generates fixed-size fingerprints to detect data tampering. Learn more.

Q4. What is the PRIMARY benefit of salting passwords?

A.Speeds up hashing
B.Prevents rainbow table attacks✓ Correct
C.Reduces storage needs
D.Eliminates need for hashing

Explanation: Unique salts force attackers to recompute rainbow tables for each password. Learn more.

Q5. When implementing full-disk encryption, which component securely stores encryption keys in hardware?

A.HSM
B.TPM✓ Correct
C.RAID controller
D.UEFI firmware

Explanation: Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) store encryption keys in tamper-resistant hardware. Learn more.

Q6. Which cryptographic function provides integrity but is not reversible?

A.Hashing✓ Correct
B.Symmetric encryption
C.Asymmetric decryption
D.Key escrow

Explanation: A hash function produces a fixed-length digest and is designed to be one-way. Learn more.

Q7. Which cryptographic process proves a message came from the claimed sender and was not changed?

A.Digital signing✓ Correct
B.Compression
C.Tokenization only
D.Steganography only

Explanation: Digital signatures provide integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation when properly implemented. Learn more.