Title: Year 12 / Computer Science / Theory / 6 - Security, privacy and data integrity / 6.1 - Data security

Q: Explain what is meant by the term "data security"
A: deals with protection of data, protects data from illegal access

Q: Explain what is meant by the term "data integrity"
A: deals with validity of data, ensures data is not corrupted after being transmitted etc

Q: Explain what is meant by the term "data privacy"
A: the need to restrict access to personal data, avoids it being seen by unauthorised people

Q: Explain what is meant by system security
A: protection of the computer system, prevents access of viruses and hackers from entering computer system, for eg uses id and password

Q: Name 4 different threats to computer and data security posed by networks and the internet
A: malware, hackers, phishing, pharming

Q: Describe how malware could pose a thread to computer and data security
A: malware is either spyware, a software that gathers information about users online and offline activity like accessed sites, applications and downloaded files, or virus, which is malicious code that copies itself, can cause loss of data on computer or cause it to crash,

Q: Describe how hackers could pose a thread to computer and data security
A: gain illegal access to computer system, obtain users confidential data for identity theft, can lead to deletion or corruption of data

Q: Describe how phishing could pose a thread to computer and data security
A: emails sent to obtain users confidential data for identity theft

Q: Describe how pharming could pose a thread to computer and data security
A: redirects user to fake website that looks legitimate to gain confidential data

Q: Describe how user accounts can act as a security measure that protect the computer system
A: user has username and password that only they know, access to resources can be limited to specific accounts, cant access system without valid id and password, prevents unauthorised access to system

Q: Describe how authentication techniques such as a digital signature can act as a security measure that protect the computer system
A: process of determining if somebody is who they claim to be, usually done through logon passwords or biometrics, as passwords can be stolen, digital certificates are used, helps prevent unauthorised access to data

Q: Describe how a firewall can act as a security measure that protect the computer system
A: between computer or LAN and internet or WAN, allows or blocks traffic to and from network, can be software or hardware, software can make precise decisions about what to allow as can detect illegal attempts by specific software to connect to internet, helps block hacking or viruses reaching computer

Q: Describe how an anti-virus software can act as a security measure that protect the computer system
A: checks for boot sector viruses when machine is first turned on, when external storage device connected, it checks file when its accessed

Q: Describe how an anti-spyware software can act as a security measure that protect the computer system
A: detects and remove keyloggers, carries out regular scans

Q: Describe how an encryption can act as a security measure that protect the computer system
A: encodes data, if data accessed, it cant be understood by unauthorised people, accessed only by people with decryption key, has secure socket layer, keeps copy of key secret by strong encryption of key itself

Q: Name 3 security methods designed to protect the security of data
A: encryption, physical measures, access rights

Q: Describe how physical measures can protect the security of data
A: by locking door or keyboards, or secure methods of access, like keypads or biometric scans

Q: Describe how access rights can protect the security of data
A: different access rights for individuals or groups of users, to stop users editing data if theyre not permitted to access it