Free 112-51 Practice Test Questions and Answers (2026) | Cert Empire Practice Questions

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is an iterated block cipher that works by repeating the defined

steps multiple times and has a 128-bit block size, having key sizes of 128, 192, and 256 bits. AES is a

symmetric-key algorithm that encrypts and decrypts data using the same secret key. AES operates on

a 4x4 matrix of bytes called the state, which undergoes 10, 12, or 14 rounds of transformation

depending on the key size. Each round consists of four steps: sub-bytes, shift-rows, mix-columns, and

add-round-key. AES is widely used for securing data in various applications and platforms, such as

web browsers, VPNs, wireless networks, and smart grids. AES is the algorithm that matches the

description given in the question. Reference:

AES - Week 4: Cryptography Techniques

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) - NIST

AES Encryption and Decryption Online Tool - Code Beautify

WPA3 is the latest standard of Wi-Fi Protected Access, which was released in 2018 by the Wi-Fi

Alliance. WPA3 uses a new handshake protocol called Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE),

which is based on a zero-knowledge proof known as dragonfly. Dragonfly is a key exchange algorithm

that uses discrete logarithm cryptography to derive a shared secret between two parties, without

revealing any information about their passwords or keys. Dragonfly is resistant to offline dictionary

attacks, where an attacker tries to guess the password by capturing the handshake and testing

different combinations. Dragonfly is also resistant to key recovery attacks, where an attacker tries to

recover the encryption key by exploiting weaknesses in the algorithm or implementation. Dragonfly

provides forward secrecy, which means that even if an attacker manages to compromise the

password or key in the future, they cannot decrypt the past communication. WPA3 also supports

other features such as increased key sizes, opportunistic wireless encryption, and protected

management frames, which enhance the security and privacy of wireless networks. Reference:

WPA3 Dragonfly Handshake

WPA3 Encryption and Configuration Guide

Dragon Fly - Zero Knowledge Proof

What is SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals)?

Dragonfly - people.scs.carleton.ca

The PKI component that verified Ben as being legitimate to receive the certificate is the registration

authority (RA). An RA is an entity that is responsible for identifying and authenticating certificate

applicants, approving or rejecting certificate applications, and initiating certificate revocations or

suspensions under certain circumstances. An RA acts as an intermediary between the certificate

authority (CA) and the certificate applicant, and performs the necessary checks and validations

before forwarding the request to the CA. The CA is the entity that signs and issues the certificates,

and maintains the certificate directory and the certificate revocation list. A certificate directory is a

repository of issued certificates that can be accessed by users or applications to verify the validity

and status of a certificate. A validation authority (VA) is an entity that provides online certificate

validation services, such as OCSP or SCVP, to verify the revocation status of a certificate in real

time123. Reference:

Public key infrastructure - Wikipedia, Wikipedia, March 16, 2021

Components of a PKI - The National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, 2020

Network Defense Essentials Courseware, EC-Council, 2020, pp. 3-26 to 3-27

FTP traffic does not provide encryption in the data transfer process, and the data transfer between

the sender and receiver is in plain text. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and it is a standard

network protocol for transferring files between a client and a server over a TCP/IP network. FTP uses

two separate channels for communication: a control channel for sending commands and receiving

responses, and a data channel for transferring files. However, FTP does not encrypt any of the data

that is sent or received over these channels, which means that anyone who can intercept the

network traffic can read or modify the contents of the files, as well as the usernames and passwords

used for authentication. This poses a serious security risk for the confidentiality, integrity, and

availability of the data and the systems involved in the file transfer. Therefore, FTP is not a secure way

to transfer sensitive or confidential data over the network. Reference:

Network Defense Essentials Courseware, EC-Council, 2020, pp. 3-31 to 3-32

What is FTP, and Why Does It Matter in 2021?, Kinsta, January 4, 2021

FTP Security, Wikipedia, February 9, 2021

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The correct order of wireless encryption modes in terms of security from high to low is 2 -> 1 -> 4 ->

3. This is based on the following comparison of the wireless encryption modes:

WPA3: WPA3 is the latest and most secure wireless encryption mode, introduced in 2018 as a

successor to WPA2. WPA3 uses the AES encryption protocol and provides several security

enhancements, such as stronger password protection, individualized encryption, forward secrecy,

and protection against brute-force and dictionary attacks. WPA3 also supports two modes: WPA3-

Personal and WPA3-Enterprise, which offer different levels of security for home and business

networks. WPA3-Personal uses Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) to replace the Pre-

Shared Key (PSK) method and provide more robust password-based authentication. WPA3-Enterprise

uses 192-bit cryptographic strength to provide additional protection for sensitive data and

networks123.

WPA2 Enterprise with RADIUS: WPA2 Enterprise with RADIUS is a wireless encryption mode that

combines the security features of WPA2 Enterprise and the authentication features of RADIUS. WPA2

Enterprise is a mode of WPA2 that uses the AES encryption protocol and provides stronger security

than WPA2 Personal, which uses the PSK method. WPA2 Enterprise uses the 802.1X standard to

implement Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) methods, such as EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, or PEAP,

to authenticate users and devices before granting access to the network. RADIUS is a protocol that

allows a central server to manage authentication, authorization, and accounting for network access.

RADIUS can integrate with WPA2 Enterprise to provide centralized and scalable authentication for

large and complex networks, such as corporate or campus networks .

WPA2 Enterprise: WPA2 Enterprise is a wireless encryption mode that uses the AES encryption

protocol and provides stronger security than WPA2 Personal, which uses the PSK method. WPA2

Enterprise uses the 802.1X standard to implement Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

methods, such as EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, or PEAP, to authenticate users and devices before granting

access to the network. WPA2 Enterprise is suitable for business or public networks that require

individual and secure authentication for each user or device .

WPA2 PSK: WPA2 PSK is a wireless encryption mode that uses the AES encryption protocol and

provides better security than WEP or WPA, which use the TKIP encryption protocol. WPA2 PSK uses

the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) method, which means that all users and devices share the same password

or passphrase to join the network. WPA2 PSK is easy to set up and use, but it has some security

drawbacks, such as being vulnerable to brute-force and dictionary attacks, or having the password

compromised by a rogue user or device. WPA2 PSK is suitable for home or small networks that do

not require individual authentication or advanced security features .

Reference:

Wi-Fi Security: Should You Use WPA2-AES, WPA2-TKIP, or Both? - How-To Geek, How-To Geek, March

12, 2023

WiFi Security: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3 And Their Differences - NetSpot, NetSpot, February 8, 2024

What is WPA3? And some gotchas to watch out for in this Wi-Fi security upgrade - CSO Online, CSO

Online, November 18, 2020

[Types of Wireless Security Encryption - GeeksforGeeks], GeeksforGeeks, 2020

[Wireless Security Protocols: WEP, WPA, and WPA2 - Lifewire], Lifewire, February 17, 2021

[WPA vs. WPA2 vs. WPA3: Wi-Fi Security Explained - MakeUseOf], MakeUseOf, January 13, 2021

Onsite data backup is the backup mechanism that is performed within the organization using

external devices such as hard disks and requires human interaction to perform the backup

operations, thus, making it susceptible to theft or natural disasters. Onsite data backup means

storing the backup data on a local storage device, such as an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, a

CD/DVD, or a tape drive, that is physically located in the same premises as the original data source.

Onsite data backup has some advantages, such as fast backup and restore speed, easy access, and

low cost. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as requiring manual intervention, occupying

physical space, and being vulnerable to damage, loss, or theft. If a disaster, such as a fire, flood,

earthquake, or power outage, occurs in the organization, both the original data and the backup data

may be destroyed or inaccessible. Therefore, onsite data backup is not a reliable or secure way to

protect the data from unforeseen events. Reference:

Should I Use an External Hard Drive for Backup in 2024?, Cloudwards, February 8, 2024

How to Back Up a Computer to an External Hard Drive, Lifewire, April 1, 2022

Best Way to Backup Multiple Computers to One External Drive, AOMEI, December 29, 2020

The loT communication model that serves as an analyzer for a company to track monthly or yearly

energy consumption is the

device-to-cloud model. The device-to-cloud model is a loT

communication model where the loT devices, such as smart meters, sensors, or thermostats, send

data directly to the cloud platform, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, over the internet. The

cloud platform then processes, analyzes, and stores the data, and provides feedback, control, or

visualization to the users or applications. The device-to-cloud model enables the company to

monitor and optimize the energy consumption of the loT devices in real time, and to leverage the

cloud services, such as machine learning, big data analytics, or artificial intelligence, to perform

advanced energy management and demand response. The device-to-cloud model also reduces the

complexity and cost of the loT infrastructure, as it does not require intermediate gateways or servers

to connect the loT devices to the cloud123. Reference:

Network Defense Essentials Courseware, EC-Council, 2020, pp. 3-38 to 3-39

loT Communication Models: Device-to-Device, Device-to-Cloud, Device-to-Gateway, and Back-End

Data-Sharing, DZone, July 9, 2018

loT Communication Models: Device-to-Device, Device-to-Cloud, Device-to-Gateway, and Back-End

Data-Sharing, Medium, March 26, 2019

Dtex Systems is the UBA tool that collects user activity details from multiple sources and uses

artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to perform user behavior analysis to prevent

and detect various threats before the fraud is perpetrated. Dtex Systems is a user and entity behavior

analytics (UEBA) platform that provides visibility, detection, and response capabilities for insider

threats, compromised accounts, data loss, and fraud. Dtex Systems collects user activity data from

endpoints, servers, cloud applications, and network traffic, and applies advanced analytics and

machine learning to establish baselines of normal user behavior, identify anomalies, and assign risk

scores. Dtex Systems also provides contextual information, such as user intent, motivation, and

sentiment, to help security teams understand and respond to the threats. Dtex Systems can integrate

with other security tools, such as SIEM, DLP, or IAM, to enhance the security posture of the

organization123. Reference:

Network Defense Essentials Courseware, EC-Council, 2020, pp. 3-35 to 3-36

Dtex Systems - Wikipedia, Wikipedia, March 16, 2021

Dtex Systems - User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA), Dtex Systems, 2020

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a type of access control model that refers to assigning

permissions to a user role based on the rules defined for each user role by the administrator. In

RBAC, the administrator creates different roles and assigns them the appropriate access rights to the

resources. The administrator then assigns users to those roles based on their job functions. This way,

the administrator can manage the access of users to the resources without having to deal with each

user individually. RBAC can simplify the administration, enhance the security, and improve the

scalability of the access control system12. Reference: Network Defense Essentials - EC-Council

Learning, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Role-Based Security

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The correct sequence of steps involved in establishing a network connection using the shared key

authentication process is 4 -> 1 -> 3 -> 5 -> 2. This is based on the following description of the shared

key authentication process from the Network Defense Essentials courseware:

The station sends an authentication frame to the AP, indicating that it wants to use shared key

authentication.

The AP responds with an authentication frame containing a challenge text, which is a random string

of bits.

The station encrypts the challenge text using its configured WEP key, which is derived from the

shared secret key (password) that is also known by the AP. The station sends the encrypted text back

to the AP in another authentication frame.

The AP decrypts the encrypted text using its configured WEP key and compares it with the original

challenge text. If they match, the AP sends a positive authentication response to the station. If they

do not match, the AP sends a negative authentication response to the station.

The station connects to the network if the authentication is successful.

Reference:

Network Defense Essentials Courseware, EC-Council, 2020, pp. 3-18 to 3-19

Shared Key Authentication - Techopedia, Techopedia, June 15, 2017

Denial-of-service (DoS) is the category of suspicious traffic signature that George identified in the

above scenario. DoS signatures are designed to detect attempts to disrupt or degrade the availability

or performance of a system or network by overwhelming it with excessive or malformed traffic. SYN

flood and ping of death are examples of DoS attacks that exploit the TCP/IP protocol to consume the

resources or crash the target server. A SYN flood attack sends a large number of TCP SYN packets to

the target server, without completing the three-way handshake, thus creating a backlog of half-open

connections that exhaust the server’s memory or bandwidth. A ping of death attack sends a

malformed ICMP echo request packet that exceeds the maximum size allowed by the IP protocol,

thus causing the target server to crash or reboot. DoS attacks can cause serious damage to the

organization’s reputation, productivity, and revenue, and should be detected and mitigated as soon

as possible123. Reference:

Network Defense Essentials Courseware, EC-Council, 2020, pp. 3-33 to 3-34

What is a denial-of-service attack?, Cloudflare, 2020

Denial-of-service attack - Wikipedia, Wikipedia, March 16, 2021

The communication layer of IoT architecture employs protocols and networks for connecting,

sending, and receiving data between devices and network. The communication layer is responsible

for enabling data exchange among the IoT devices and the cloud or other devices. The

communication layer can use various types of networks, such as wired, wireless, cellular, or satellite,

and various types of protocols, such as TCP/IP, MQTT, CoAP, or ZigBee12. Reference: Network

Defense Essentials - EC-Council Learning, IoT Architecture: The 4 Layers of an IoT System

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a type of authentication that requires users to provide two or

more forms of verification to access an online account. 2FA is a multi-layered security measure

designed to prevent hackers from accessing user accounts using stolen or shared credentials. 2FA

typically combines something the user knows (such as a password or PIN), something the user has

(such as a phone or a token), and/or something the user is (such as a fingerprint or a face scan). In

the above scenario, the banking application employs 2FA by asking Kevin to enter his registered

credentials (something he knows) and an OTP sent to his mobile (something he has) before

transferring the amount to Flora’s account. Reference:

Improve Your Cybersecurity with Password MFA - Defense.com™

What Is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)? | Microsoft Security

Selecting Secure Multi-factor Authentication Solutions