Which of the following algorithms can be used to check the integrity of a file? Each correct answer represents a complete solution. Choose two. (ISC)2 CISSP-ISSAP Exam

Question

Options

• Amd5
• Brsa
• Cblowfish
• Dsha

• A
  88% (42)
• B
  8% (4)
• C
  4% (2)

Explanation

MD5 (A) and SHA (D) are cryptographic hash functions - they produce a fixed-length digest (fingerprint) of a file's contents. Any change to the file, even a single bit, produces a completely different hash, making them ideal for verifying integrity. You compute the hash before and after transmission or storage and compare the two values.

RSA (B) is an asymmetric encryption/digital signature algorithm used for confidentiality and authentication - not for producing a standalone integrity hash of arbitrary data.

Blowfish (C) is a symmetric block cipher used for encrypting data - it transforms plaintext to ciphertext, which is a fundamentally different operation from hashing.

Memory tip: Think "Hash = Integrity" - MD5 and SHA both end with a fixed-length hash, which is the tool of choice for integrity checking. If the answer choices include a cipher (Blowfish, AES, DES) or an asymmetric algorithm (RSA, ECC), those are for confidentiality or authentication, not integrity hashing. On CISSP exams, integrity almost always points to a hashing algorithm.

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