ITPEC IP October 2020 Question 38
There is an electronic file that needs to be made confidential. Which of the following is the appropriate security technology to use in order to ensure the confidentiality of this file?
Explanation
Access control — confidentiality means only authorized people can read the file, which is exactly what access control enforces.
Access control decides who may read, write or run a resource: once a user is authenticated, the access rights set on the file (for example, read allowed only to one group) decide whether that user can open it. Anyone without the right cannot see the content. Encrypting the file is the other main way to keep it confidential.
Answer (a)
Why not others:
- •(b) Timestamp — proves that the file existed at a certain time and has not changed since; it concerns integrity, and anyone can still read the file
- •(c) Digital signature — proves who created the file and that it was not altered (integrity and authenticity); a signed file stays readable by anyone
- •(d) Hot standby — keeps a standby system running, ready to take over at once if the active one fails; it serves availability
Key rule: Match each measure to the property it protects: access control and encryption give confidentiality, digital signatures and timestamps integrity, redundancy such as hot standby availability.
Security · AI-written, may contain errors
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