Question

A security engineer configures a passcode to a data center by using a cipher. The engineer uses a substitution cipher on the string hocuspocus. Which result does the engineer produce with this cipher type?

O The string: krfxvsrfxv
O The string: pocushocus
O The string: hocuspocusted6543nv6
O The string: pocushocus37dh3hg

Answer 1

A substitution cipher replaces each letter of the plaintext with another letter based on a system; in this case, the string 'hocus-pocus' with a consistent shift would likely result in 'krfxvsrfxv'. Therefore, the correct answer options is a)

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the result of applying a substitution cipher to the string hocus-pocus. A substitution cipher involves replacing each letter of the plaintext with another letter. If the security engineer used a simple substitution method, such as shifting the alphabet a set number of places, the engineer would produce a string where each letter in the original message is consistently replaced by the corresponding letter in the cipher alphabet.

In considering the provided options, the answer will not be a simple rearrangement or a string with additional characters. Therefore, the result krfxvsrfxv suggests a substitution where each letter is replaced by another according to a specific system. For instance, if the original alphabet is shifted three places down, the letter 'h' would be replaced by 'k', 'o' by 'r', 'c' by 'f', and so on, resulting in krfxvsrfxv.