Cryptographic Concepts on a Linux Server (XK0-006)

This lab aligns to CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-006) exam objective 3.5: Explain cryptographic concepts and technologies in a Linux environment.

By the end of this lab, you will be able to:

  • Apply symmetric encryption to protect data at rest using OpenSSL on a Linux system.
  • Identify and validate encrypted protocols used to secure data in transit over SSH.
  • Generate and compare cryptographic hashes to verify data integrity.
  • Identify weak cryptographic algorithms and enforce secure cryptographic policies.
  • Configure and deploy a private Certificate Authority (CA) to issue CA-signed certificates. 

Overview

Welcome to the Cryptographic Concepts on a Linux Server lab. In this lab, you will implement and evaluate cryptographic technologies on an Ubuntu 24.04 system. You will protect data at rest using AES-256 encryption and verify protection of data in transit using SSH. You will generate and compare SHA-256 hashes to confirm file integrity. You will also identify weak cryptographic configurations, create a private Certificate Authority, and deploy CA-signed certificates to establish trusted communication without relying on self-signed certificates.

You will complete the following activity in this lab:

  • Exercise 1 – Exploring Cryptographic Technologies on a Linux Device 

Click Next to continue.