SSCP Question #581: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is C: Public key based, hybrid encryption scheme. S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) uses a hybrid encryption scheme: asymmetric (public key) cryptography is used to encrypt and exchange a symmetric session key, while the actual message content is encrypted with that symmetric key. This approach combines the k

Submitted by rohit_dlh· Apr 18, 2026Cryptography

Question

What kind of encryption is realized in the S/MIME-standard?

Options

AAsymmetric encryption scheme
BPassword based encryption scheme
CPublic key based, hybrid encryption scheme
DElliptic curve based encryption

Explanation

S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) uses a hybrid encryption scheme: asymmetric (public key) cryptography is used to encrypt and exchange a symmetric session key, while the actual message content is encrypted with that symmetric key. This approach combines the key management convenience of public key cryptography with the performance efficiency of symmetric encryption. This is the same fundamental model used by TLS/SSL and PGP.

Topics

#S/MIME#Hybrid encryption#Public key cryptography#Email security

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