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350-701 · Question #209

350-701 Question #209: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is D: SHA. Among the given options, SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) provides the highest level of protection against brute-force attacks because it generates longer, more complex hash outputs compared to MD5, making collisions and brute-forcing significantly harder.

Submitted by weili_xi· Mar 30, 2026DOMAIN_LIST_NOT_PROVIDED

Question

Which type of algorithm provides the highest level of protection against brute-force attacks?

Options

  • APFS
  • BHMAC
  • CMD5
  • DSHA

Explanation

Among the given options, SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) provides the highest level of protection against brute-force attacks because it generates longer, more complex hash outputs compared to MD5, making collisions and brute-forcing significantly harder.

Common mistakes.

  • A. PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy) is a property of key agreement protocols that ensures the compromise of a long-term key does not compromise past session keys; it is not a hashing algorithm used to protect against brute-force password cracking directly.
  • B. HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) provides data integrity and authentication using a cryptographic hash function and a secret key, but it relies on an underlying hash function (like SHA or MD5) and is not itself a standalone algorithm for protecting against brute-force password attacks.
  • C. MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5) is a cryptographic hash function that is now considered insecure due to known vulnerabilities, making it susceptible to collision attacks and less resistant to brute-force attacks than SHA algorithms.

Concept tested. Cryptographic Hashing Strength

Reference. https://www.nist.gov/publications/recommendation-applications-hash-functions

Topics

#Cryptographic hash functions#Brute-force attacks#SHA algorithm

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