Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam

What cryptographic algorithm utilizes elliptical curves for key exchange?

1. RSA

2. AES

3. ECC

4. DES

The correct answer is: ECC

The correct response highlights the use of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) for key exchange purposes. ECC is a form of public key cryptography that leverages the mathematical properties of elliptic curves over finite fields. This approach allows for the creation of smaller, faster cryptographic keys that provide equivalent security to larger keys used in other algorithms, such as RSA. In the context of key exchange, ECC is particularly advantageous because it enables secure communication protocols with lower computational requirements, making it suitable for environments with limited processing power or battery life, such as mobile devices and IoT systems. The efficiency and security that ECC provides have made it a popular choice in modern cryptographic applications, including those within the cybersecurity domain. RSA, AES, and DES do not utilize elliptic curves for key exchange. RSA is based on the factorization of large integers, AES is a symmetric encryption algorithm that operates on block data, and DES is also a symmetric-key algorithm that uses a different structure for encryption and decryption. Thus, ECC stands out as the specific algorithm that employs elliptic curves for these functions.