IPA IP 2021 Question 73

Encrypting the device's data with a security chip that holds the key — tamper resistance is how hard it is to read or alter what is inside a device that an attacker has in hand.

A stolen IoT device can be taken apart: its storage read directly, its software analysed, keys copied. Tamper resistance makes that hard. A security chip (such as a TPM or secure element) stores the encryption key inside hardware built to resist probing, and does the encryption itself, so the key never sits in ordinary memory. Even with the device in hand, the thief finds only encrypted data and cannot extract the key that would decrypt it.

Answer (b)

Why not others:

• •(a) — encrypting communication protects data in transit against eavesdropping; it does nothing for the data or keys stored inside a stolen device
• •(c) — security patches close known software vulnerabilities used in remote attacks; they do not stop someone with the device from reading its storage
• •(d) — changing the default password stops unauthorised logins over the network, but a thief can bypass the login by reading the hardware directly

Key rule: Tamper resistance protects the inside of a device against someone holding it; hardware that keeps keys and data sealed is the typical measure, unlike network-side controls.

Security · AI-written, may contain errors