Public and Private Keys MCQs September 29, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/99 Subscribe 1. : What is the main purpose of a public key in cryptography? (A) To encrypt data or verify signatures (B) To decrypt data only (C) To generate random numbers (D) To compress files 2. : What is the main purpose of a private key? (A) To encrypt files (B) To decrypt data or sign messages (C) To generate hashes (D) To store metadata 3. : Public and private keys are used in which type of cryptography? (A) Symmetric (B) Asymmetric (C) Hash-based (D) Quantum 4. : Which algorithm commonly uses public and private keys? (A) RSA (B) MD5 (C) SHA-256 (D) CRC32 5. : In a public key system, who has access to the public key? (A) Only the sender (B) Only the receiver (C) Everyone (D) Certificate Authority only 6. : What should always remain secret in a publicāprivate key pair? (A) Public key (B) Encryption algorithm (C) Private key (D) Message digest 7. : Which key is used to create a digital signature? (A) Public key (B) Private key (C) Session key (D) Hash key 8. : Which key is used to verify a digital signature? (A) Private key (B) Public key (C) Secret key (D) Shared key 9. : Publicāprivate key cryptography is also called? (A) One-key cryptography (B) Two-key cryptography (C) Triple encryption (D) Hash encryption 10. : What mathematical principle makes RSA secure? (A) Prime factorization difficulty (B) Modular addition (C) Simple hashing (D) Binary shifting 11. : In asymmetric encryption, what does the sender use to encrypt the message? (A) Recipientās public key (B) Recipientās private key (C) Shared key (D) Session token 12. : In asymmetric encryption, what does the receiver use to decrypt the message? (A) Their private key (B) Their public key (C) Hash key (D) Symmetric key 13. : Which is an example of an asymmetric algorithm? (A) AES (B) RSA (C) DES (D) Blowfish 14. : Which is NOT a use of publicāprivate key pairs? (A) Digital signatures (B) Data encryption (C) Hashing passwords (D) Secure key exchange 15. : What is a key pair in public-key cryptography? (A) Two identical keys (B) A public and a private key mathematically linked (C) A hash and a signature (D) Two random numbers 16. : Which organization issues digital certificates linking public keys to identities? (A) Blockchain miners (B) Certificate Authority (CA) (C) Hashing functions (D) Password managers 17. : If Alice encrypts a message with Bobās public key, who can decrypt it? (A) Alice (B) Bob (C) Anyone with a public key (D) A certificate authority 18. : Which key is used in SSL/TLS for identity verification? (A) Private key of the server (B) Public key of the server (C) Shared session key (D) Master password 19. : Which algorithm is used for digital signatures in Bitcoin? (A) RSA (B) ECDSA (C) SHA-256 (D) MD5 20. : What does ECDSA stand for? (A) Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (B) Electronic Cryptography Data Security Algorithm (C) Encrypted Code Digital System Application (D) Elliptic Cryptography Data Secure Authentication 21. : Which is a benefit of public-key cryptography? (A) Fast encryption for bulk data (B) No need to share secret keys securely (C) Smaller key sizes compared to symmetric (D) Easier hashing functions 22. : Which is a drawback of publicāprivate key systems compared to symmetric? (A) More secure (B) Slower computation (C) Easier to manage (D) No need for certificates 23. : What is the typical key length of RSA for secure communication today? (A) 128 bits (B) 256 bits (C) 2048 bits (D) 512 bits 24. : Which key is stored in digital wallets for cryptocurrency transactions? (A) Public key only (B) Private key (C) Shared session key (D) Hash key 25. : What is derived from the private key in cryptocurrencies? (A) Wallet address (public key hash) (B) Mining algorithm (C) Signature verification code (D) Transaction fees 26. : If a private key is lost in cryptocurrency, what happens? (A) Funds are still recoverable (B) Funds are permanently lost (C) Authority can issue new key (D) Blockchain resets 27. : Which asymmetric algorithm is faster with shorter keys? (A) RSA (B) ECC (C) DES (D) Blowfish 28. : In PGP, what is the role of the public key? (A) To sign messages (B) To encrypt messages for intended recipient (C) To generate hashes (D) To compress files 29. : Which type of cryptography uses both symmetric and asymmetric together? (A) Hash-based cryptography (B) Hybrid cryptography (C) Quantum cryptography (D) Block cipher cryptography 30. : Which public key algorithm is based on elliptic curve mathematics? (A) ECC (B) DES (C) AES (D) SHA-2 31. : In digital signature process, what key does the verifier use? (A) Senderās private key (B) Senderās public key (C) Receiverās private key (D) Receiverās secret key 32. : What ensures that a private key corresponds uniquely to its public key? (A) Hash function (B) Mathematical relationship (C) Digital certificate (D) Symmetric encryption 33. : Which key exchange algorithm uses publicāprivate pairs? (A) DiffieāHellman (B) SHA-256 (C) MD5 (D) Blowfish 34. : What is a risk if a private key is exposed? (A) Anyone can forge signatures or decrypt data (B) Public key will also be lost (C) Encryption stops working (D) Certificates expire instantly 35. : Which is used for secure email communication? (A) PGP (B) MD5 (C) SHA-1 (D) DES 36. : What is the function of a Key Pair Generator? (A) To generate hash values (B) To produce a publicāprivate key pair (C) To verify certificates (D) To compress keys 37. : In asymmetric encryption, if a message is signed with a private key, what proves authenticity? (A) Hash value (B) Public key verification (C) Symmetric key (D) Session ID 38. : Which cryptographic system forms the backbone of SSL certificates? (A) Publicāprivate key cryptography (B) Symmetric key cryptography (C) Hashing (D) Quantum key exchange 39. : What is a Key Management System (KMS) used for? (A) Hash value calculation (B) Managing cryptographic key lifecycles (C) Mining cryptocurrencies (D) Data compression 40. : Which type of key can be freely shared without security risks? (A) Private key (B) Public key (C) Master key (D) Secret key 41. : Which protocol relies on publicāprivate key pairs for secure browsing? (A) FTP (B) HTTPS (C) POP3 (D) SMTP 42. : Which format is often used to store private keys securely? (A) PEM (B) JPG (C) TXT (D) MP4 43. : Which is the biggest challenge in asymmetric cryptography? (A) Key distribution (B) Speed and performance (C) Certificate revocation (D) File storage 44. : Which algorithm is used in SSH for secure login? (A) RSA or ECC (B) SHA-1 (C) MD5 (D) DES 45. : Which key is used by sender to encrypt a symmetric session key in hybrid cryptography? (A) Receiverās public key (B) Receiverās private key (C) Senderās private key (D) Senderās public key 46. : What ensures data integrity in digital signatures? (A) Public key (B) Hash of the message (C) Certificate (D) Session key 47. : Which algorithm is considered more efficient than RSA? (A) ECC (B) DES (C) SHA-1 (D) MD5 48. : What is the primary function of a private key in blockchain wallets? (A) To calculate gas fees (B) To authorize and sign transactions (C) To create block hashes (D) To generate mining rewards 49. : Which ensures authenticity of a public key? (A) Digital certificate from a CA (B) Private key storage (C) Blockchain mining (D) Password protection 50. : Which process allows secure message exchange using publicāprivate keys? (A) Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) (B) Symmetric encryption (C) Data hashing (D) Key masking 51. : What is the main purpose of a private key? (A) To encrypt files (B) To decrypt data or sign messages (C) To generate hashes (D) To store metadata 52. : Public and private keys are used in which type of cryptography? (A) Symmetric (B) Asymmetric (C) Hash-based (D) Quantum 53. : Which algorithm commonly uses public and private keys? (A) RSA (B) MD5 (C) SHA-256 (D) CRC32 54. : In a public key system, who has access to the public key? (A) Only the sender (B) Only the receiver (C) Everyone (D) Certificate Authority only 55. : What should always remain secret in a publicāprivate key pair? (A) Public key (B) Encryption algorithm (C) Private key (D) Message digest 56. : Which key is used to create a digital signature? (A) Public key (B) Private key (C) Session key (D) Hash key 57. : Which key is used to verify a digital signature? (A) Private key (B) Public key (C) Secret key (D) Shared key 58. : Publicāprivate key cryptography is also called? (A) One-key cryptography (B) Two-key cryptography (C) Triple encryption (D) Hash encryption 59. : What mathematical principle makes RSA secure? (A) Prime factorization difficulty (B) Modular addition (C) Simple hashing (D) Binary shifting 60. : In asymmetric encryption, what does the sender use to encrypt the message? (A) Recipientās public key (B) Recipientās private key (C) Shared key (D) Session token 61. : In asymmetric encryption, what does the receiver use to decrypt the message? (A) Their private key (B) Their public key (C) Hash key (D) Symmetric key 62. : Which is an example of an asymmetric algorithm? (A) AES (B) RSA (C) DES (D) Blowfish 63. : Which is NOT a use of publicāprivate key pairs? (A) Digital signatures (B) Data encryption (C) Hashing passwords (D) Secure key exchange 64. : What is a key pair in public-key cryptography? (A) Two identical keys (B) A public and a private key mathematically linked (C) A hash and a signature (D) Two random numbers 65. : Which organization issues digital certificates linking public keys to identities? (A) Blockchain miners (B) Certificate Authority (CA) (C) Hashing functions (D) Password managers 66. : If Alice encrypts a message with Bobās public key, who can decrypt it? (A) Alice (B) Bob (C) Anyone with a public key (D) A certificate authority 67. : Which key is used in SSL/TLS for identity verification? (A) Private key of the server (B) Public key of the server (C) Shared session key (D) Master password 68. : Which algorithm is used for digital signatures in Bitcoin? (A) RSA (B) ECDSA (C) SHA-256 (D) MD5 69. : What does ECDSA stand for? (A) Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (B) Electronic Cryptography Data Security Algorithm (C) Encrypted Code Digital System Application (D) Elliptic Cryptography Data Secure Authentication 70. : Which is a benefit of public-key cryptography? (A) Fast encryption for bulk data (B) No need to share secret keys securely (C) Smaller key sizes compared to symmetric (D) Easier hashing functions 71. : Which is a drawback of publicāprivate key systems compared to symmetric? (A) More secure (B) Slower computation (C) Easier to manage (D) No need for certificates 72. : What is the typical key length of RSA for secure communication today? (A) 128 bits (B) 256 bits (C) 2048 bits (D) 512 bits 73. : Which key is stored in digital wallets for cryptocurrency transactions? (A) Public key only (B) Private key (C) Shared session key (D) Hash key 74. : What is derived from the private key in cryptocurrencies? (A) Wallet address (public key hash) (B) Mining algorithm (C) Signature verification code (D) Transaction fees 75. : If a private key is lost in cryptocurrency, what happens? (A) Funds are still recoverable (B) Funds are permanently lost (C) Authority can issue new key (D) Blockchain resets 76. : Which asymmetric algorithm is faster with shorter keys? (A) RSA (B) ECC (C) DES (D) Blowfish 77. : In PGP, what is the role of the public key? (A) To sign messages (B) To encrypt messages for intended recipient (C) To generate hashes (D) To compress files 78. : Which type of cryptography uses both symmetric and asymmetric together? (A) Hash-based cryptography (B) Hybrid cryptography (C) Quantum cryptography (D) Block cipher cryptography 79. : Which public key algorithm is based on elliptic curve mathematics? (A) ECC (B) DES (C) AES (D) SHA-2 80. : In digital signature process, what key does the verifier use? (A) Senderās private key (B) Senderās public key (C) Receiverās private key (D) Receiverās secret key 81. : What ensures that a private key corresponds uniquely to its public key? (A) Hash function (B) Mathematical relationship (C) Digital certificate (D) Symmetric encryption 82. : Which key exchange algorithm uses publicāprivate pairs? (A) DiffieāHellman (B) SHA-256 (C) MD5 (D) Blowfish 83. : What is a risk if a private key is exposed? (A) Anyone can forge signatures or decrypt data (B) Public key will also be lost (C) Encryption stops working (D) Certificates expire instantly 84. : Which is used for secure email communication? (A) PGP (B) MD5 (C) SHA-1 (D) DES 85. : What is the function of a Key Pair Generator? (A) To generate hash values (B) To produce a publicāprivate key pair (C) To verify certificates (D) To compress keys 86. : In asymmetric encryption, if a message is signed with a private key, what proves authenticity? (A) Hash value (B) Public key verification (C) Symmetric key (D) Session ID 87. : Which cryptographic system forms the backbone of SSL certificates? (A) Publicāprivate key cryptography (B) Symmetric key cryptography (C) Hashing (D) Quantum key exchange 88. : What is a Key Management System (KMS) used for? (A) Hash value calculation (B) Managing cryptographic key lifecycles (C) Mining cryptocurrencies (D) Data compression 89. : Which type of key can be freely shared without security risks? (A) Private key (B) Public key (C) Master key (D) Secret key 90. : Which protocol relies on publicāprivate key pairs for secure browsing? (A) FTP (B) HTTPS (C) POP3 (D) SMTP 91. : Which format is often used to store private keys securely? (A) PEM (B) JPG (C) TXT (D) MP4 92. : Which is the biggest challenge in asymmetric cryptography? (A) Key distribution (B) Speed and performance (C) Certificate revocation (D) File storage 93. : Which algorithm is used in SSH for secure login? (A) RSA or ECC (B) SHA-1 (C) MD5 (D) DES 94. : Which key is used by sender to encrypt a symmetric session key in hybrid cryptography? (A) Receiverās public key (B) Receiverās private key (C) Senderās private key (D) Senderās public key 95. : What ensures data integrity in digital signatures? (A) Public key (B) Hash of the message (C) Certificate (D) Session key 96. : Which algorithm is considered more efficient than RSA? (A) ECC (B) DES (C) SHA-1 (D) MD5 97. : What is the primary function of a private key in blockchain wallets? (A) To calculate gas fees (B) To authorize and sign transactions (C) To create block hashes (D) To generate mining rewards 98. : Which ensures authenticity of a public key? (A) Digital certificate from a CA (B) Private key storage (C) Blockchain mining (D) Password protection 99. : Which process allows secure message exchange using publicāprivate keys? (A) Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) (B) Symmetric encryption (C) Data hashing (D) Key masking