UPDATED COMP 344 NOTES

Confidentiality

Protecting information from unauthorized access. Example: Encryption.

Integrity

Ensuring data has not been altered. Example: Checksums, Hashing.

Availability

Ensuring authorized users have access when needed. Example: Redundant servers, DDoS mitigation.

Threat

A potential danger that could exploit a vulnerability. Example: A hacker attempting SQL injection.

Vulnerability

A weakness in a system that could be exploited. Example: Outdated software with known exploits.

Asset

Anything of value that needs protection. Example: Customer data.

Symmetric Encryption

Uses the same key for encryption and decryption (e.g., AES).

Asymmetric Encryption

Uses public and private keys for encryption and decryption (e.g., RSA, ECC).

Salt in Encryption

Random data added to passwords before hashing to prevent rainbow table attacks.

Encoding vs. Encryption

Encoding is for data representation (Base64, ASCII) and is not secure; encryption protects data using keys and algorithms.

Digital Signature

Used to verify integrity and authenticity, created by signing a hash with a private key.

Certificate Authority (CA)

Issues digital certificates to verify identity.

Root CA

Top-level trusted authority that issues certificates.

TLS

Secures data in transit with encryption.

Understand basic TLS handshake

• Client and Server agree on encryption

• Server presents a certificate signed by a CA

• Client verifies the certificate

• Secure communication begins by establishing a secure session key.

TCP SYN Flood

A protocol attack that exploits the TCP handshake by sending many SYN requests without completing them.

IP

Routes packets to destinations.

Port

Specifies services on a device (e.g., HTTP = port 80).

Network Zones

boundary that controls access to devices and computers on a network. It can be based on IP addresses, geographic locations, or ranges of IP addresses. 

Packet Filter

A firewall type that checks packet headers without maintaining connection state.

Stateful Firewall

Monitors connection state and allows or blocks traffic accordingly.

whois

Identifies domain ownership.

nmap

Scans open ports and services on a network.

Principle of Least Privilege

Limits user permissions to minimize risk.

System Hardening

Regular updates, disable unnecessary services, and log monitoring to improve security.

Virus

A type of malware that attaches itself to files to spread.

Trojan

Malware disguised as legitimate software.

Spyware

Collects data secretly from users.

Phishing

A social engineering attack aimed at stealing credentials.