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EC-Council 212-81 Exam - Topic 1 Question 71 Discussion

Posted by Johnna on May 16, 2026 at 06:59 PM

The mode makes a block cipher into a synchronous stream cipher. It generates keystream blocks, which are then XORed with the plaintext blocks to get the ciphertext.

Suggested Answer: C

Output feedback (OFB)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_cipher_mode_of_operation#Output_feedback_(OFB)

The output feedback (OFB) mode makes a block cipher into a synchronous stream cipher. It generates keystream blocks, which are then XORed with the plaintext blocks to get the ciphertext. Just as with other stream ciphers, flipping a bit in the ciphertext produces a flipped bit in the plaintext at the same location. This property allows many error-correcting codes to function normally even when applied before encryption.

Incorrect answers:

Cipher feedback (CFB)- mode, a close relative of CBC, makes a block cipher into a self-synchronizing stream cipher.

Electronic codebook (ECB)- the simplest of the encryption modes (named after conventional physical codebooks). The message is divided into blocks, and each block is encrypted separately.

Cipher-block chaining (CBC)- Ehrsam, Meyer, Smith and Tuchman invented the cipher block chaining (CBC) mode of operation in 1976. In CBC mode, each block of plaintext is XORed with the previous ciphertext block before being encrypted. This way, each ciphertext block depends on all plaintext blocks processed up to that point. To make each message unique, an initialization vector must be used in the first block.


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24 comments · newest first
RO
Rosina
CFB is valid, but OFB is more common for this purpose.
DE
Delsie 5 days ago
Not so sure about OFB. What about D) Cipher feedback (CFB)? It also generates keystreams.
GL
Glory 10 days ago
I agree, OFB is a good choice. It turns block ciphers into stream ciphers.
SH
Shoshana 15 days ago
I think the answer is C) Output feedback (OFB). It fits the description well.
VI
Vivan 20 days ago
I believe C) Output feedback (OFB) is the best choice. It matches the definition.
SU
Susana 26 days ago
I’m not sure, but B) Electronic codebook (ECB) seems too simple for this.
CA
Caren 1 month ago
I agree with C) Output feedback (OFB). It generates keystream blocks.
AN
Antonio 1 month ago
I’m leaning towards D) Cipher feedback (CFB). It sounds right for synchronous.
JE
Jennifer 1 month ago
I feel like it's A) Cipher-block chaining (CBC). It’s commonly used.
JE
Jestine 2 months ago
I think it's C) Output feedback (OFB). It fits the description well.
TI
Tiera 2 months ago
Surprised to see this question, thought it was more complex!
TH
Thad 2 months ago
I always get confused between OFB and CFB.
RA
Ramonita 2 months ago
Wait, are we sure it's not D) Cipher feedback?
LE
Leigha 2 months ago
Totally agree, OFB is the right answer!
TA
Tamesha 2 months ago
I think that's C) Output feedback (OFB).
SA
Santos 3 months ago
CFB also fits the description, but OFB is spot on!
LI
Lilli 3 months ago
Wait, are we sure about that? Sounds off.
CA
Carla 3 months ago
ECB just doesn't work like that, right?
BA
Barrett 3 months ago
I thought CBC was the one that does that?
KE
Kerry 3 months ago
That's definitely true for OFB!
KA
Kasandra 3 months ago
I keep mixing up ECB and CBC, but I think they don't generate keystreams like OFB does. So, maybe it's C?
IL
Ilona 4 months ago
I practiced a question like this, and I feel like C) and D) are both related to stream ciphers, but I can't recall the exact differences.
SH
Shelia 4 months ago
I'm not entirely sure, but I remember something about CBC being more about chaining blocks rather than generating a keystream.
SH
Sherita 5 months ago
I think the answer might be C) Output feedback, since it turns the block cipher into a stream cipher by generating keystream.
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