In a cryptographic handshake, which stage is responsible for generating and distributing cryptographic keys?

• A. Negotiation of Security Methods and Parameters
• B. Keying
• C. Ongoing Communication
• D. Mutual Authentication

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is how keys are created and shared during a cryptographic handshake. The stage responsible for this is the keying phase. It’s during keying that parties generate the cryptographic material (like session keys or a shared secret) and securely distribute it between them. Once these keys are established, they’re used to protect the actual data exchanged in the session.

In practice, you often see a key exchange as part of the handshake (for example, using Diffie-Hellman or an RSA-based exchange) to establish a shared secret, from which symmetric session keys are derived and then distributed to both sides. This separation matters because other stages—such as negotiating which algorithms to use or validating each party’s identity—set up the framework for the handshake, but the actual creation and distribution of the encryption keys happen during the keying process.