Question

What is the purpose of key stretching?

A). To ensure keys are the proper length for their corresponding locks.
B). To strengthen weak keys against brute force attacks
C). To combat key shortening
D). None of these

Answer 1

Key stretching is used to strengthen weak keys against brute force attacks by making the key generation process more time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Step-by-step explanation:

The purpose of key stretching is to strengthen weak keys against brute force attacks. Key stretching is a technique used in cryptography to make the process of generating keys more time-consuming and resource-intensive, thus increasing the complexity of a brute force attack. By using key stretching, the derived keys are longer and more unique, making them more resistant to cracking.