Which of the following cryptographic methods is preferred for securing communications with limited computing resources?

Question

Options

• AHashing algorithm
• BPublic key infrastructure
• CSymmetric encryption
• DElliptic curve cryptography

• A
  3% (2)
• B
  2% (1)
• C
  95% (55)

Explanation

Symmetric encryption uses a single shared key for both encryption and decryption, requiring far less computational overhead than asymmetric methods - making it the go-to choice when CPU cycles, memory, or battery life are constrained (think IoT sensors, embedded systems, or smart cards).

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A. Hashing algorithms are one-way functions used for integrity verification, not for securing communications - you can't decrypt a hash to recover the original message.
• B. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) relies on asymmetric cryptography (e.g., RSA), which involves large mathematical operations that are computationally expensive - the opposite of resource-friendly.
• D. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is more efficient than RSA and is often praised for resource-constrained use, but it is still asymmetric and carries more computational cost than symmetric encryption. It's a strong distractor, but symmetric wins on raw efficiency.

Memory tip: Think "Symmetric = Same key = Simple/fast." One key, one operation - that simplicity is exactly why it dominates in low-power environments. If a question mentions limited resources or IoT, symmetric encryption (e.g., AES) is almost always the answer.

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