Which of the following is a symmetric encryption algorithm?

The correct answer is A. 3DES. 3DES (Triple DES) is a symmetric encryption algorithm - it uses the same key for both encrypting and decrypting data, applying the DES cipher three times in sequence to increase security. Why the others are wrong: MD5 is a hashing algorithm, not encryption at all - it produces…

Information Security Core Competencies

Question

Options

A3DES
BMD5
CECC
DRSA

How the community answered

(20 responses)

A
75% (15)
B
15% (3)
C
5% (1)
D
5% (1)

Explanation

3DES (Triple DES) is a symmetric encryption algorithm - it uses the same key for both encrypting and decrypting data, applying the DES cipher three times in sequence to increase security.

Why the others are wrong:

MD5 is a hashing algorithm, not encryption at all - it produces a one-way digest and has no decryption capability.
ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) is an asymmetric algorithm used for key exchange and digital signatures, relying on a public/private key pair.
RSA is also asymmetric - it encrypts with a public key and decrypts with a private key, the opposite model from symmetric encryption.

Memory tip: Think "Same key = Symmetric." Algorithms in the DES/AES family (DES, 3DES, AES) are the classic symmetric ciphers to know; RSA and ECC always signal asymmetric (two keys). MD5/SHA are hashes - a completely different category.

Topics

#Symmetric Encryption#Cryptography Basics#3DES#Algorithm Classification

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