Which statement describes the effect of key length in deterring an attacker from hacking through an encryption key?

Which statement describes the effect of key length in deterring an attacker from hacking through an encryption key?

• The length of a key will not vary between encryption algorithms.
• The length of a key does not affect the degree of security.
• The shorter the key, the harder it is to break.
• The longer the key, the more key possibilities exist.
  

  Answers Explanation & Hints: While preventing brute-force attacks and other forced decryption concerns, the longer the key length, the harder it is to break. A 64-bit key can take one year to break with a sophisticated computer, while a 128-bit key may take 10 19 years to decrypt. Different encryption algorithms will provide varying key lengths for implementation.