GCIH · Question #76
Which of the following attacks can be overcome by applying cryptography?
The correct answer is C. Sniffing. Cryptography directly counters sniffing by encrypting data in transit, rendering intercepted packets unreadable to an eavesdropper.
Question
Which of the following attacks can be overcome by applying cryptography?
Options
- ABuffer overflow
- BWeb ripping
- CSniffing
- DDoS
How the community answered
(36 responses)- A6% (2)
- B3% (1)
- C92% (33)
Why each option
Cryptography directly counters sniffing by encrypting data in transit, rendering intercepted packets unreadable to an eavesdropper.
Buffer overflow attacks exploit memory management flaws in application code; cryptography operates at the data transmission layer and cannot prevent improper memory handling within a program.
Web ripping involves automated downloading of publicly accessible website content, which is an application-layer access control issue that encryption of transit data does not prevent.
Sniffing captures plaintext network traffic passing over a shared medium or compromised link. Applying encryption protocols such as TLS or IPsec ensures that even if an attacker intercepts the packets, the payload is unintelligible without the correct decryption key, directly neutralizing the eavesdropping threat.
Denial-of-Service attacks overwhelm system resources with request volume; encryption does not reduce the number of incoming requests or protect against resource exhaustion.
Concept tested: Cryptography as a defense against network eavesdropping
Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-52/rev-2/final
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