M4 - U3 - S4 - Digital Certificates and Anti-Phishing

True

• The public key can’t be used to decrypt the message once encrypted

• Only the linked private key can be used to do that

True or False: When a web browser communicates with a secure (HTTPS) server, it accepts the server's digital certificate to use its public key to encrypt communications

Asymmetric Encryption

• A method of encrypting and decrypting data using a pair of keys: a public key and a private key

  • The public key is used to encrypt plaintext

  • The private key is used to decrypt the resulting ciphertext

Certificate Authority

• Third party/entity that issue digital certificates to verify the identity of users, computers, and organisations

  • Relied on by browsers and servers to vouch for server identity

True

True or False: Having a certificate is not in itself any proof of identity

Public Key Infrastructure

A set of technologies and processes that use encryption to protect and authenticate digital communications

Root Certificates

A browser is pre-installed with a number of ____ which are automatically trusted

• These represent the commercial CAs that grant certificates to most of the companies that do business on the web

True

• Third-party browsers such as Firefox and Chrome maintain their own stores

True or False: Windows has a certificate store that Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge browsers use

• Padlock

  • Certificate is valid and trusted - click for info

• Padlock + Green Address bar

  • Certificate is highly trusted - site owner has gone through even more rigorous identity validation procedure

• Maroon Address Bar

  • Certificate is untrusted

  • Site will be blocked by warning message

Indications of certificate validity

True

• If a certificate has not been issued by a one of the trusted root CAs, Windows will warn you that the publisher cannot be verified

  • When you try to install an add-on or other type of application

True or False: Digital certificates are also used to verify the identity of software publishers

Domain name

Another important step in validating the identity of a site is to confirm its ________

Phishing/Pharming

• Techniques to direct users to fake or manipulated websites

• Often use well-known subdomains as part of the address

  • e.g. comptia. phishing. org

  • The browser highlights the registered domain part of the address so that you can verify it

Anti-phishing protection software

Most browsers run ______ to block access to URLs known to be the source of phishing attempts or that host malware