Which statement reflects RC4 export-limited practice?

• A. 8 bits
• B. 40 bits
• C. 100 bits
• D. 256 bits

Answer: (B)

Export controls in the cryptography era forced weaker, exportable options, so RC4 export-limited practice used a 40-bit key. That small key space was the result of policy rather than security needs, making the encryption far easier to brute-force than modern standards. It’s why 40 bits is the correct reflection of the export-limited approach—they needed something that could be exported legally, even though it’s insecure by today’s measures. The other lengths aren’t tied to that export policy: 8 bits is far too small to be practical, while 100-bit and 256-bit keys are strong lengths used in modern secure configurations, not export-limited RC4.