Which of the following statements BEST describes the Public Key
Cryptography Standards (PKCS)?
A.
A set of public-key cryptography standards that support only
standard algorithms such as Diffie-Hellman and RSA
B.
A set of public-key cryptography standards that support only
algorithm-independent implementations
C.
A set of public-key cryptography standards that support algorithms
such as Diffie-Hellman and RSA as well as algorithm independent
standards
D.
A set of public-key cryptography standards that support encryption
algorithms such as Diffie-Hellman and RSA, but does not address
digital signatures
Explanation:
PKCS supports algorithm-independent and algorithm-specific
implementations as well as digital signatures and certificates. It was
developed by a consortium including RSA Laboratories, Apple, DEC,
Lotus, Sun, Microsoft and MIT. At this writing, there are 15 PKCS
standards. Examples of these standards are:
PKCS #1. Defines mechanisms for encrypting and signing data
using the RSA public-key system
PKCS #3. Defines the Diffie-Hellman key agreement protocol
PKCS #10. Describes a syntax for certification requests
PKCS #15. Defines a standard format for cryptographic
credentials stored on cryptographic tokens