Someone who breaks encryption is called a ________.

• A. Cracker
• B. Coder
• C. Hacker
• D. Cryptanalyst

Answer: (D)

Cryptanalysis is the study of breaking encryption by analyzing ciphers to uncover weaknesses and decrypt messages without the key. The person who performs this work is called a cryptanalyst. While informal terms like cracker are sometimes used for someone who breaks protections, and hacker is a broader label for someone who exploits systems, and coder refers to someone who writes code, the precise term for someone who breaks encryption is cryptanalyst.