RC6 is best described as which type of cipher?

RC6 is best described as which type of cipher?

• A. A password hashing algorithm
• B. A public-key encryption algorithm
• C. A hash function
• D. A symmetric-key block cipher derived from RC5

Answer: (D)

RC6 is a symmetric-key block cipher. That means it uses a single secret key to transform fixed-size blocks of plaintext into ciphertext, and the same key is used to reverse the process during decryption. RC6 was developed as an evolution of RC5, enhancing the design with a four-word data path and more rounds, while relying on simple operations like modular addition, XOR, and shifts. This combination makes it a reversible encryption algorithm suitable for confidentiality, unlike hash functions (which are one-way) or password-hashing schemes (designed for securely storing passwords) or public-key algorithms (which use a key pair).

RC6 is a symmetric-key block cipher. That means it uses a single secret key to transform fixed-size blocks of plaintext into ciphertext, and the same key is used to reverse the process during decryption. RC6 was developed as an evolution of RC5, enhancing the design with a four-word data path and more rounds, while relying on simple operations like modular addition, XOR, and shifts. This combination makes it a reversible encryption algorithm suitable for confidentiality, unlike hash functions (which are one-way) or password-hashing schemes (designed for securely storing passwords) or public-key algorithms (which use a key pair).