Protection of Data (Cambridge International IGCSE ICT)

Spec point — 8.3.2

Protection of Data

How can data be kept securely?

• Data can be held securely by storing it in an encrypted format and ensuring authentication is being used

• This goes a long way to ensuring that only trusted sources can access the data

• There are a number of ways to store data securely, these include:

  • Biometrics
  • Digital certificate
  • Secure socket layer (SSL)
  • Encryption
  • Firewall
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Usernames & passwords

Biometrics

What are biometrics?

• Biometrics are a way of authenticating a user by using their unique human characteristics

• Some of the ways biometrics can be used are:

  • Fingerprint scans
  • Retina scans
  • Facial recognition

What are the benefits of using biometrics?

• Biometric data is unique to the person and can not be copied, meaning that the data is always with the person
• Passwords can be easily copied, forgotten, guessed or cracked
• It is difficult to copy or forge biometric data
• Biometrics eliminates the possibility of attacks such as shoulder surfing and key-logging software
• Biometrics of a high degree of accuracy as there is no known way to copy a person's retina pattern for example

What are the drawbacks of using biometrics?

• Collecting biometric data can be intrusive, for example, scanning eyes
• Scans be not be recognised, an example of could be fingerprint scans with dirty hands
• Retina and iris recognition is very expensive to install
• Low light can provide an issue for facial recognition as well as hats and glasses
• people may be uncomfortable having their most unique characteristics being stored in a database

Digital certificate

What is a digital certificate?

• A digital certificate is a digital file used to prove who stores the public key
• The public key works alongside a private key to encrypt and decrypt the data so that all content is secure
• Digital certificates are given by trusted companies to ensure they are real and safe

What is included in a digital certificate?

• Digital certificates contain a lot of information, some of this includes:

  • Public key: The key associated with the holder
  • Subject information: Details about the holder
  • Issuer information: This identifies the certificate authority (CA)
  • Validity period: The start and end date for the certificate to remain valid
  • Serial number: A unique number to identify the certificate
  • Signature algorithm: The algorithm used by the CA to sign the certificate
  • Digital signature: The CA's signature to prove the certificate was issued by them

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

What is SSL?

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a security protocol which is used to encrypt data transmitted over the internet
• This helps to prevent eavesdropping and other forms of interception
• SSL is widely used to protect online transactions, such as those involving credit card information or other sensitive data
• It works by sending a digital certificate to the user’s browser
• This contains the public key which can be used for authentication
• Once the certificate is authenticated, the transaction will begin

Worked Example (i) ) Identify a security solution that could be used to protect a computer from a computer virus, hacking and spyware.

Each security solution must be different

Threat	Security solution
Phishing
DDoS attack
Hacking

[3]

(ii) Describe how each security solution you identified in (i) will help protect the computer.

[6]

Answers

(i)

Threat	Security solution
Phishing	Final answer: Monitoring communication
Brute force attack	Final answer: Authentication
Hacking	Final answer: Firewall/Biometrics

(ii) Two marks for each description

• Monitoring communication

  • Checking for spelling & grammar errors
  • Reading tone, is the user being rushed? // is the user made to panic?

• Authentication

  • Checks the user is they say they are
  • Captcha proves they are not a bot
  • Passwords lockout after a set number of attempts

• Firewall

  • Monitors traffic coming into and out of the computer system
  • Checks that the traffic meets any criteria/rules set
  • Blocks any traffic that does not meet the criteria/rules set // set blacklist/whitelist

• Biometrics

  • Data needed to enter is unique to individual
  • … therefore it is very difficult to replicate
  • Lock out after set number of attempts

Encryption

What is encryption?

• Encryption is a method of converting plain text into ciphered text to be stored
• Encryption uses complex mathematical algorithms to scramble the text
• Asymmetric encryption, also known as private key, public key encryption is often used for web pages and other communication

What form of attack would this prevent?

• Encryption plays a role in all forms of attack on a network
• It is important to note that it does not prevent the attacks from occurring but it does stop the attacker from gaining access to the information

Firewall

What is a firewall?

• A firewall is a barrier between a network and the internet

• A firewall prevents unwanted traffic from entering a network by filtering requests to ensure they are legitimate

• It can be both hardware and software and they are often used together to provide stronger security to a network

  • Hardware firewalls will protect the whole network and prevent unauthorised traffic
  • software firewalls will protect the individual devices on the network, monitoring the data going to and from each computer

What form of attack would this prevent?

• Hackers
• Malware
• Unauthorised Access to a Network
• DOS/DDOS attacks

Two-factor authentication

What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?

• 2FA is a security measure that requires users to provide two separate forms of **identification **to verify their identity

• The purpose of 2FA is to add an extra layer of security beyond just a username and password

• It usually involves a combination of something the** user knows (password), something the** user has such as a smartphone using SMS or an authenticator application

• The two stages of two-factor authentications are:

  1. the user enters a username and password / pin number
  2. The user enters a 1 time unique pin number sent to their mobile device

Username & Password

What are passwords?

• Passwords are a digital lock to prevent unauthorised access to an account
• They are often stored as an encrypted/ciphered text entry in a database, ensuring that even with unauthorised access to a database, a hacker would not be able to gain access to the individual passwords of users
• Strong passwords and regular password changes are important to maintain security
• To maintain a strong password, it is recommended to use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters

What form of attack would this prevent?

• Data Interception and Theft
• Physical Security Issues
• SQL Injection

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using passwords?