The Art of Ensuring Integrity

Vocabulary terms covering data integrity controls, hashing algorithms, digital signatures, certificates, and database integrity enforcement based on Lecture #5.

Hashing

A tool that ensures data integrity by taking binary data and producing a fixed-length representation called the hash value or message digest.

Hash Value

The fixed-length representation of a message produced by a mathematical function that is relatively easy to compute but significantly harder to reverse.

Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA)

A hashing algorithm developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that can be implemented in strengths of $224$, $256$, $384$, and $512$ bits.

Message Digest 5 (MD5)

A hashing algorithm developed by Ron Rivest that produces a $128\text{-bit}$ hash value.

Salting

The process of adding a random string of characters to a password before hashing to make it more secure.

HMAC

An algorithm that combines a cryptographic hash function with a secret key to provide both integrity assurance and authentication.

Digital Signature

A mathematical method used to check the authenticity and integrity of a message, digital document, or software; it also provides non-repudiation.

Asymmetric Cryptography

The basis for digital signatures, involving a public key algorithm like RSA that generates mathematically related private and public keys.

Digital Certificate

Equivalent to an electronic passport, it authenticates and verifies that users sending a message are who they claim to be.

X.509

The standard for the construction of digital certificates and the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) used to manage them.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

The policies, roles, and procedures required to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates.

Data Integrity

The accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data stored in a database.

Entity Integrity

A database rule stating that every table must have a primary key that is unique and not NULL.

Primary Key

A unique identifier for each row in a database table.

Referential Integrity

A database rule ensuring that table relationships remain consistent, specifically concerning foreign keys that reference primary keys in other tables.

Domain Integrity

A database control ensuring that all data items in a column follow the same format and fall within a defined set of valid values.

Null

A value in a database that signifies missing or unknown information.

Validation Rule

A criterion used to check that data falls within parameters defined by a database designer to ensure completeness, accuracy, and consistency.

Check Digit

An extra calculation used in database validation to generate a digit for error detection.

User-defined Integrity

A set of specific rules defined by a user that does not belong to standard category constraints like domain, entity, or referential integrity.