Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)Cybersecurity FundamentalsHard
A security architect is designing a new system that requires a high degree of assurance that digital evidence, such as logs and audit trails, cannot be tampered with and can be proven to be authentic in a court of law. Which cryptographic concept is most crucial for fulfilling this requirement?
- AEncryption
- BKey Exchange
- CSteganography
- DHashing
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Hashing
Hashing provides a unique, fixed-size value for data, where even a small change in the data results in a completely different hash. This property makes it crucial for detecting tampering and verifying the integrity of digital evidence, which is essential for legal authenticity.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Encryption provides confidentiality but does not inherently guarantee integrity or authenticity for legal purposes without additional mechanisms.
- B. Key Exchange is a method for securely sharing cryptographic keys, not directly for verifying data integrity or authenticity of evidence.
- C. Steganography is the practice of concealing a message within another message or a file, not for verifying integrity or authenticity.
Hashing (Cryptographic)
A one-way mathematical function that converts an arbitrary-length input (data) into a fixed-length output (hash value or message digest).
- Primarily used for data integrity verification.
- Even a tiny change in input data results in a vastly different hash.
- Considered one-way: computationally infeasible to reverse the process.
- Used in digital signatures for integrity and non-repudiation.
Memory trick: Transforming data into a unique fingerprint for verification.