Question

Difficulty: MediumCryptographic Concepts and Algorithms

A security administrator is tasked with updating the data protection mechanism for a customer relationship management (CRM) database storing high-volume customer records at rest. The enterprise security policy requires that all stored data be encrypted using a high-speed algorithm that provides confidentiality with low computational overhead. Which of the following cryptographic algorithms should the administrator implement to meet this requirement?

  1. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)Answer
  2. B
    Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)
  3. C
    Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC)
  4. D
    Diffie-Hellman (DH) key exchange

Answer

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric block cipher that provides strong data confidentiality with high throughput and low computational cost, making it the ideal choice for bulk database encryption at rest.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the operational requirement
Identified the requirement for bulk data-at-rest encryption offering high performance and minimal CPU overhead.
Databases containing millions of records require symmetric ciphers due to their processing efficiency.
2
Evaluate cryptographic algorithm categories
Selected symmetric key cryptography over asymmetric cryptography and key exchange protocols.
Symmetric encryption uses a single shared secret key, operating significantly faster than asymmetric key math.
3
Select the specific compliant algorithm
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) fulfills all requirements.
AES is the standard symmetric block cipher for high-speed, robust data-at-rest confidentiality.

Key Concept

Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Cryptography for Bulk Data Encryption
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