How many columns do we need to have in the table, that is used for encryption in columnar transposition cipher when a given keyword is "SECRET" and plain text is "DATASTRUCTURE"?

Solution (By Examveda Team)

Columnar Transposition Cipher: In a columnar transposition cipher, the plaintext is written into a grid based on the length of the keyword. The number of columns in the grid corresponds to the length of the keyword.

Given:
Keyword: "SECRET"
Plaintext: "DATASTRUCTURE"

Steps to Determine Number of Columns:
Step 1: Determine the length of the keyword:
The keyword "SECRET" has 6 letters.

Step 2: The number of columns in the table used for encryption is equal to the length of the keyword.
In this case, since the keyword has 6 letters, we will have 6 columns.

Conclusion:
The number of columns needed in the table for encryption using the columnar transposition cipher with the keyword "SECRET" is:
Option C: 6