312-50V10 · Question #553
Which of the following cryptography attack methods is usually performed without the use of a computer?
The correct answer is C. Rubber hose attack. A rubber hose attack uses physical coercion or threats to extract a key or password from a person, bypassing cryptographic algorithms entirely without any computer involvement.
Question
Which of the following cryptography attack methods is usually performed without the use of a computer?
Options
- ACiphertext-only attack
- BChosen key attack
- CRubber hose attack
- DRainbow table attack
How the community answered
(40 responses)- A3% (1)
- B3% (1)
- C90% (36)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
A rubber hose attack uses physical coercion or threats to extract a key or password from a person, bypassing cryptographic algorithms entirely without any computer involvement.
A ciphertext-only attack is a computational cryptanalysis technique where an attacker uses a computer to analyze intercepted ciphertext and deduce the plaintext or key.
A chosen key attack is a theoretical cryptographic attack that requires computational analysis to exploit relationships between keys, not a physical method.
A rubber hose attack is a physical and human-targeted technique where an adversary uses intimidation, torture, or legal compulsion to force a person to disclose encryption keys or credentials. Because the attack targets the human holder of the secret rather than the algorithm or its implementation, no computational tools are needed and even mathematically unbreakable encryption offers no protection.
A rainbow table attack relies on precomputed hash lookup tables and significant processing power to crack hashed passwords, making it inherently computer-dependent.
Concept tested: Non-computational physical coercion cryptographic attack
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