CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) — Question 511

Which of the following describes the difference between encryption and hashing?

Answer options

• A. Encryption protects data in transit, while hashing protects data at rest.
• B. Encryption replaces cleartext with ciphertext, while hashing calculates a checksum.
• C. Encryption ensures data integrity, while hashing ensures data confidentiality.
• D. Encryption uses a public-key exchange, while hashing uses a private key.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B, as encryption indeed transforms cleartext into ciphertext, making it unreadable without the proper key, while hashing creates a fixed-size output (checksum) that represents the original data but cannot be reversed. Option A incorrectly describes the functions of encryption and hashing, option C confuses the roles of both processes, and option D incorrectly assigns key usage to each method.