Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Practice Exam

Public key cryptography primarily addresses the issue of key distribution. In symmetric key cryptography, the same key is used for both encryption and decryption, which necessitates a secure method for sharing the key between parties. This process can become complicated as the number of participants increases, and it poses risks of key interception during transmission. Public key cryptography circumvents this challenge through the use of a pair of keys: a public key, which can be shared openly, and a private key, which is kept secret by the owner. When someone wants to communicate securely, they can encrypt data using the recipient’s public key. Only the recipient, possessing the corresponding private key, can decrypt the message. This method eliminates the need to securely exchange keys in advance, simplifying the process of establishing secure communications. The other options, although relevant to cybersecurity, do not encapsulate the primary advantage offered by public key cryptography. Storage management and data integrity are important aspects, but they are not central to the key distribution problem that public key cryptography specifically addresses. Password recovery is unrelated to the core functions of public key mechanisms. Therefore, the solution provided by public key cryptography is paramount in enhancing secure communication through efficient and safe key distribution.