CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501) — Question 160

Which of the following cryptography algorithms will produce a fixed-length, irreversible output?

Answer options

• A. AES
• B. 3DES
• C. RSA
• D. MD5

Correct answer: D

Explanation

MD5 is a hashing algorithm that produces a fixed-length output and is irreversible, making it suitable for checksums and data integrity verification. In contrast, AES, 3DES, and RSA are encryption algorithms that do not produce fixed-length outputs in the same way and are designed for reversible operations.