Andrew works as a Network Administrator for Infonet Inc. The company's network has a Web server that hosts the company's Web site. Andrew wants to increase the security of the Web site by…

Question

Options

• ASynchronous
• BSecret
• CAsymmetric
• DSymmetric

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  7% (2)
• C
  90% (26)

Explanation

SSL uses both asymmetric (C) and symmetric (D) encryption in a hybrid approach. During the SSL handshake, asymmetric encryption (public/private key pairs) is used to securely exchange a shared session key - this is the expensive but secure part. Once the session key is established, the bulk of data transfer is encrypted using faster symmetric encryption, where both sides use the same key.

Why the distractors are wrong: "Synchronous" (A) is a timing/processing concept, not an encryption type - it has no role in SSL's cryptographic model. "Secret" (B) is not a recognized encryption category; while symmetric encryption is sometimes called "secret key" encryption, "secret" alone is not a valid encryption type and is a trap for test-takers conflating terminology.

Memory tip: Think of SSL as a two-phase lock - use the asymmetric (two-key) system to hand off the symmetric (one-key) secret, then switch to the faster lock for the actual conversation. "A before S" - Asymmetric first, Symmetric second.

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