CS - Comp Systems - Security Flashcards
Describe the purpose of a firewall
A firewall can be used to:
- check that incoming data packets meet specific rules before being allowed in
- set rules about which stations on a network can send or receive data packets
What threats do firewalls protect against?
Firewalls protect against unauthorised access to a computer system by those who might want to steal data, cause malicious harm or take control of the system.
What is encryption?
A security measure used to prevent unauthorised access to data during transmission between systems or networks.
Describe the purpose of encryption
Designed to scramble data so if an unauthorised person or organisation manage to steal data packets, they will be unable to understand the content.
Describe the process of encryption
In computing, encryption:
- makes use of algorithms to create simple keys that can encrypt data
- keeps the simple key secure by using public and private keys during transmission of data
- only the correct combination of public and private key will allow access to the simple key
- the simple key is then used again to decrypt the data
Describe the use of the public and private key when a message is received
When a message is received, the public key used to send the data must be recognised as the key that corresponds to the private key used to receive the data.