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SSCP · Question #1165

Encryption ciphers that use the same key to encrypt and decrypt are called?

The correct answer is B. Symmetric encryption. Encryption ciphers that utilize the same secret key for both encryption and decryption operations are known as symmetric encryption.

Submitted by weili_xi· Apr 18, 2026Cryptography

Question

Encryption ciphers that use the same key to encrypt and decrypt are called?

Options

  • AAsymmetric encryption
  • BSymmetric encryption
  • CPublic key encryption
  • DDigital signature encryption

How the community answered

(40 responses)
  • A
    5% (2)
  • B
    90% (36)
  • C
    3% (1)
  • D
    3% (1)

Why each option

Encryption ciphers that utilize the same secret key for both encryption and decryption operations are known as symmetric encryption.

AAsymmetric encryption

Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys (public and private) where one encrypts and the other decrypts.

BSymmetric encryptionCorrect

Symmetric encryption, also known as shared-key or secret-key encryption, uses a single, identical key for both the encryption of plaintext into ciphertext and the decryption of ciphertext back into plaintext.

CPublic key encryption

Public key encryption is another name for asymmetric encryption.

DDigital signature encryption

Digital signature encryption uses asymmetric keys for authenticity and integrity, not typically for general data encryption.

Concept tested: Symmetric encryption definition

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/seccrypto/symmetric-encryption

Topics

#Symmetric encryption#Encryption ciphers#Cryptography fundamentals

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