Professional Elective (Cryptography) Question Bank

1. Explain the components of security.

2. List and explain the types of attacks.
3. Differentiate between symmetric and asymmetric cryptography.
4. Write note on following types of attacks:
a. Phishing
b. Spoofing
c. Sniffing
5. Explain in details the concept of transposition cipher.
6. What are active and passive attacks? Explain with examples.
7. Discuss the working of rail fence cipher as an example of transposition cipher.
8. Differentiate between transposition cipher and substitution cipher.
9. Elaborate the concept of substitution cipher.
10. Explain man in the middle attack.
11. Explain in details the working of Caesar cipher.
12. Write a note on vignere cipher.
13. Discuss the working of Vernam cipher.
14. Explain what happens in each round of DES algorithm.
15. Describe in details the Data Encryption Standard (DES) algorithm.
16. Explain compression and expansion phases of DES algorithm.
17. Explain the working of International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA).
18. List the differentiating points between DES and IDEA.
19. Elaborate the RC4 algorithm.
20. Differentiate between block cipher and stream cipher.
21. State the limitations of IDEA algorithm.
22. Write a short note on:
a. Encryption
b. Decryption
c. Plain text
d. Cipher text
23. What is RC5 algorithm? Explain.
24. What are the limitations of DES algorithm? Explain.
25. Write in details about Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
26. State similarities and differences between DES and AES.
27. What is meant by Double DES and Triple DES algorithms?
28. What are the drawbacks of using Symmetrical cipher?
29. Explain Asymmetric key cryptography.
30. What is the concept of block cipher? Explain any block cipher algorithm.
31. In RSA algorithm, state how the public and private key pair is created.
32. Write in details about RSA algorithm.
33. State the concept of Digital signature.
34. Explain how non-repudiation is guaranteed using digital signature.
35. Explain MD5 hashing technique in details.
36. What are the limitations of RSA algorithm and how it is removed?
37. Explain and elaborate RC5 algorithm.
38. Explain blowfish.
39. What is meant by Stream cipher? Explain any cryptographic algorithm which is based on
stream cipher technique.
40. What is digital certificate?
41. Explain in details PKIX model.
42. What are principle elements of Public key cryptosystem?
43. Explain the limitations of AES algorithm.
44. List and discuss public key cryptography standards.
45. What do you mean by public key infrastructure (PKI)?
46. List and explain various fields in digital certificate.
47. Differentiate between digital signature and digital certificate.
48. What is SSL?
49. Explain handshake protocol in SSL.
50. Explain record protocol of SSL.
51. Write down about public key infrastructure.
52. Elaborate Transport layer Security.
53. State how to secure Hypertext transfer protocol.
54. What is time stamping protocol?
55. Explain wireless application protocol.
56. List and explain various authentication methods available.
57. Which are various biometric authentication techniques?
58. Explain in details the working of Kerberos system.
59. What is meant by Authentication?
60. Explain in details TSL protocol.
61. Explain in which scenario, the time stamping protocol is to be used. Explain the algorithm in
details.
62. Explain how RSA algorithm can be used to authenticate a person.
63. List and explain various type of network attacks possible.
64. Write a short note on key distribution centre (KDC).
65. Explain Knapsack algorithm.
66. What is meant by Message Digest? Explain.
67. List and explain various behavioural authentication techniques.
68. In RSA, if Bob and Alice are communicating, how Cathy (intruder), can not apply a man in the
middle attack?
69. Differentiate between RC4 and RC5 algorithms.
70. Discuss whether we can use both Symmetric key cryptography and asymmetric key
cryptography together. What benefits will this approach provide?
71. As RSA is slower because it involves large computations, how to make it work faster?
72. State the differences between AES and IDEA algorithms.
73. Differentiate between Vernam and Vigenere cipher.
74. List various symmetric key cryptographic algorithm. Explain any one with example.
75. What is meant by Cryptanalysis?
76. Explain one-time pad cipher.
77. Why Vernam cipher is known as one-time pad?
78. Explain SHA1 algorithm.
79. Discuss in details Meet in the Middle attack.
80. Why do we use hashing technique? State and explain any one technique.
81. Elaborate how security is provided to Emails.
82. What is a knapsack algorithm? State where it is used?
83. State advantages and disadvantages of using symmetric cryptography.
84. State the advantages and disadvantages of using asymmetric key cryptography.
85. Explain how Alice will send a message to Bob using RSA algorithm.
86. State which key is used for digital signature. Explain the working principle of digital signature.
87. Explain report protocol of SSL.
88. Elaborate how security is provided in mobile communication.
89. Which are various network attacks? List and explain.
90. Differentiate between phishing and spoofing.
91. Consider following data:
Plain text: “hello world”
Key: 5
Using Caesar cipher, what will be the cipher text?
92. Consider following data:
Plain text: “hello world”
Number of fences: 2
Using Caesar cipher, what will be the cipher text?
93. Explain how the blowfish algorithm works.
94. Differentiate between DES and blowfish.
95. State the differences between DES and RSA algorithm.
96. Explain what happens in handshake protocol of SSL.
97. Explain what is meant by replay attack.
98. What are various cryptographic keys?
99. State the job of Authentication server and Ticket granting server.
100. State the applications of cryptography.