CISSP Practice Question: In a corporate environment, the security team is designing a new system…

Correct Answer: A. Symmetric encryption

Explanation (CISSP Manager Logic):

Symmetric encryption is the standard for data at rest because it offers high-speed processing and efficiency for large volumes of data. It balances strong confidentiality requirements with minimal performance overhead, ensuring business operations remain productive.

By implementing this solution, you:

• Maximize system throughput and performance for large datasets.
• Simplify key management for internal storage using a single secret key.
• Utilize industry-proven standards like AES to meet regulatory compliance.

While the other options are relevant, they fall short because:

• B: Asymmetric encryption is computationally intensive and too slow for encrypting large files or databases.
• C: Hashing is a one-way function used for integrity verification, not for data recovery or confidentiality.
• D: Digital signatures provide non-repudiation and authenticity but do not provide encryption for the underlying data.

Think like a manager:

Prioritize efficiency and scalability when selecting technical controls. Choose the tool that meets the security objective without creating operational bottlenecks or excessive resource costs.