AP Computer Science Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep

The correct answer reflects that there are three distinct types of encryption commonly recognized in the field of cybersecurity: symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption, and hashing.

Symmetric encryption involves the use of a single key for both encryption and decryption, which means that both the sender and receiver need to share this key securely. Examples include AES and DES.

Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, uses a pair of keys—a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. This method allows secure communication without the need to share a secret key beforehand. RSA is a well-known example of this type of encryption.

Finally, hashing is a process that transforms data into a fixed-size string of characters, which appears random. Hashing is primarily used for integrity checks rather than for securing communication, but it is still an important aspect of data protection.

Understanding these three types helps in grasping the broader concepts and applications of encryption in securing information and communications.