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Topic Encryption
Asked 4 times across 3 UPSC exams over 14 years (2011–2025), peaking in 2022.
Key insights
- Most tested in ESE — 2 of 4 PYQs
- Most asked in 2022
- Recurs across 3 years (2011–2025)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 2011 → ESE 2022 → EPFO 2025
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (3 of 4) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
EPFO2025
Which one among the following correctly stands for SSL encryption with regard to banking websites ?
- A Secure Socket Layer encryption
- B Superior Safety Level encryption
- C Server-to-Server Linked encryption
- D Safety Server Level encryption
Answer key not yet available (pending official release)
Science & Technology › IT/Computing/Cyber
ESE2022
Which one of the following protocols is designed to provide privacy between two communicating applications viz a client and a server ?
- A Data link layer protocol
- B Physical layer protocol
- C Secure socket layer protocol ✓
- D Session layer protocol
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Computer Science & IT › Cyber Security
ESE2022
The AES key expansion algorithm takes as input a 4-word (16-byte) key and produces a linear array of
- A 50 words (200 bytes)
- B 44 words (176 bytes) ✓
- C 40 words (160 bytes)
- D 35 words (140 bytes)
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Computer Science & IT › Cyber Security
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