Using new and proprietary encryption ciphers is a good idea because cryptanalysts will not know them.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Sometimes
• D. Unknown

Answer: (B)

Relying on secrecy of an encryption algorithm is not a robust way to achieve security. New and proprietary ciphers haven’t undergone the extensive cryptanalytic scrutiny that established standards endure. Without open review, hidden weaknesses can remain undetected, and once the design is exposed, those weaknesses may be exploited. Even if attackers don’t know the algorithm initially, the lack of public evaluation means confidence in its strength is speculative. In practice, trustworthy security comes from well-studied algorithms with peer-reviewed analysis, appropriate key lengths, and correct implementation, along with proper modes of operation and key management. Proprietary designs also complicate interoperability and auditing, and they can harbor implementation flaws that undermine security. So using new and proprietary ciphers simply because they are unknown is not a sound practice.