Systems Security Certified Practitioner – SSCP – Question0681

Compared to RSA, which of the following is true of Elliptic Curve Cryptography(ECC)?

A.
It has been mathematically proved to be more secure.
B. It has been mathematically proved to be less secure.
C. It is believed to require longer key for equivalent security.
D. It is believed to require shorter keys for equivalent security.

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

The following answers are incorrect: It has been mathematically proved to be less secure. ECC has not been proved to be more or less secure than RSA. Since ECC is newer than RSA, it is considered riskier by some, but that is just a general assessment, not based on mathematical arguments.
It has been mathematically proved to be more secure. ECC has not been proved to be more or less secure than RSA. Since ECC is newer than RSA, it is considered riskier by some, but that is just a general assessment, not based on mathematical arguments.
It is believed to require longer key for equivalent security. On the contrary, it is believed to require shorter keys for equivalent security of RSA.
Shon Harris, AIO v5 pg719 states:
“In most cases, the longer the key, the more protection that is provided, but ECC can provide the same level of protection with a key size that is shorter that what RSA requires”
The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question: ISC2 OIG, 2007 p. 258 Shon Harris, AIO v5 pg719