Security Concept (Topic One)

Question 1

What is computer security

Answer 1

The protection afforded to an information system that aims to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information system resources inclusive of hardware, operating systems, firmware and telecommunications

Question 2

List and define the elements of the CIA triad.

Answer 2

Confidentiality: Maintaining authorized restrictions on information access and disclosure

Integrity : This prevents against unauthorized modification and deletion of data as well as ensures the reliability and nonrepudiation of data

Availability : Ensuring timely and reliable access to information

Question 3

List and describe the two addition features of the CIA

Answer 3

Authenticity: This is the property of being genuine and being verified and trusted.

Accountability: The security feature that allows an entity’s actions to be traced back uniquely to that entity.

Question 4

Give three challenges faced by computer security

Answer 4

1. Physical and Logical Locations needs to be determined
2. Attackers only need to find one point of weakness while security administrators need to find as much as possible.
3. Security requires regular and constant monitoring

Question 5

What is an attack?

Answer 5

Any type of malicious activity that aims to disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy information system or its recourses

Question 6

Define the term advisory.

Answer 6

An individual, group or government that conducts or aims to conduct any malicious activity towards information systems.

Question 7

What is risk?

Answer 7

The adverse impacts that would arise if a particular activity should take place

Question 8

Define Security Policy

Answer 8

This defines and constrains the activities of data processing facilities inorder to maintain a condition of security for systems and data

Question 9

What is a Threat

Answer 9

Any circumstance that poses to potential impact an individual or group via unauthorized access or destruction of an information system

Question 10

What is a vulnerability

Answer 10

A point of weakness in an information system that can be exploited.

Question 11

What are the four assets of a computer system

Answer 11

Hardware
Software
Communication
Data

Question 12

What are the three categories of vulnerabilities?

Answer 12

Corrupted
Leaky
Unavailable or slow

Question 13

List the four types of attacks and describe each

Answer 13

Passive - An attempt to learn or make use of information without altering the system resources
Active - An attempt to make alterations to the system resources or operations
Insider: An entity within the system
Outsider: An entity outside of the system

Question 14

What is an attack surface ?

Answer 14

Any point of the system that is vulnerable to being exploited

Question 15

What are the types of attack surfaces?

Answer 15

Network
This category refers to vulnerabilities over an enterprise
network
Human
created by personnel
or outsiders, such as social engineering, human error, and
trusted insiders
Software
This refers to vulnerabilities in application, utility, or operating
system code. eg web server