Which algorithm is an example of symmetric encryption?

Which algorithm is an example of symmetric encryption?

• A. RSA
• B. DES
• C. ECC
• D. Diffie-Hellman

Answer: (B)

Symmetric encryption uses the same secret key to both encrypt and decrypt data, which makes it fast for handling large amounts of information. DES is an example of this approach, using one shared key for both directions of the process. The other options rely on public-key methods or related purposes: RSA and ECC are asymmetric algorithms that use a key pair (public and private) for encryption and signatures, and Diffie-Hellman is a key-exchange method used to establish a shared secret rather than to perform direct encryption. So DES best fits the idea of symmetric encryption.

Symmetric encryption uses the same secret key to both encrypt and decrypt data, which makes it fast for handling large amounts of information. DES is an example of this approach, using one shared key for both directions of the process. The other options rely on public-key methods or related purposes: RSA and ECC are asymmetric algorithms that use a key pair (public and private) for encryption and signatures, and Diffie-Hellman is a key-exchange method used to establish a shared secret rather than to perform direct encryption. So DES best fits the idea of symmetric encryption.