The SSL/TLS handshake — Quiz

The SSL/TLS handshake

1. What is the ultimate goal of the TLS handshake process? (Choose one answer) a) To exchange digital certificates between the client and server b) To establish a shared symmetric session key for encrypting application data c) To validate the Certificate Authority's root certificate on the client machine d) To determine the strongest possible cipher suite supported by the client

2. In TLS 1.3, how is the key exchange fundamentally different from the RSA method in TLS 1.2? (Choose one answer) a) TLS 1.3 uses a longer RSA key for improved security b) TLS 1.3 uses the server's certificate public key to encrypt the pre-master secret c) TLS 1.3 mandates an ephemeral Diffie-Hellman exchange, making Perfect Forward Secrecy mandatory d) TLS 1.3 performs the key exchange after all authentication is complete

3. Which TLS 1.3 handshake message does the server use to cryptographically prove it possesses the private key corresponding to its certificate? (Choose one answer) a) ServerHello b) Certificate c) CertificateVerify d) Finished

4. Why was the RSA key exchange method (where the client encrypts a secret with the server's public key) removed from TLS 1.3? (Choose one answer) a) It was too slow compared to Diffie-Hellman b) It did not support client authentication c) It lacked Perfect Forward Secrecy d) It was incompatible with modern cipher suites

5. What is a major performance benefit of the TLS 1.3 handshake compared to a full TLS 1.2 handshake? (Choose one answer) a) It uses less computationally intensive algorithms b) It requires only one round trip (1-RTT) to establish a secure connection c) It eliminates the need for digital certificates d) It uses smaller key sizes for the same level of security