Protection of Data (CIE IGCSE ICT)

Biometrics

• The use of unique physical or behavioural characteristics of individuals, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans, for authentication and access control
• Biometric data provides a more secure method of identification as it is difficult to forge or replicate

Advantages and disadvantages of Biometrics

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Harder to crack  Easier to use for individual High accuracy	Skin damage can stop identification  Facial features can change over time Some biometrics are more expensive to set up than others Voice recognition can be affected by illness

Digital certificate

• An electronic document that verifies the authenticity and integrity of a website
• The purpose of a digital certificate is to establish trust between parties and ensure secure communication
• Contents of a digital certificate typically include the entity's public key, identification information, and the digital signature of a trusted third party

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

• A protocol that establishes an encrypted link between a server and a client computer
• SSL ensures that data transmitted between the server and client remain confidential and cannot be intercepted or adjusted by unauthorised individuals
• Identified on a website by the S at the end of HTTP

Encryption

• The process of converting data into a form that is unreadable without a decryption key
• Encryption is used to protect data on hard disks, email communications, cloud storage, and secure websites (HTTPS)
• It ensures that even if data is accessed by unauthorised individuals, it cannot be understood  without a decryption key

Firewall

• A network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic
• The purpose of a firewall is to create a barrier between an internal network and external networks, filtering traffic based on predefined rules
• It helps prevent unauthorised access, malware, and other network threats

Advantages and disadvantages of Firewalls

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Stops attacks from device Stops fraudulent sites attacking the device	Can affect the operation of the computer and some uploads To upload some files, the firewall may need to be switched off, leaving the computer open to attacks Can stop legitimate software from running

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

• A security measure that requires users to provide two separate forms of identification to verify their identity
• The purpose of 2FA is to add an extra layer of security beyond just a username and password
• It usually involves a combination of something the user knows (password), something the user has (smartphone or token), or something the user is (biometric data)

User ID and password

• A common method of authentication that involves a unique identifier (user ID) and a secret code (password)
• User ID and password are used to increase the security of data by allowing access only to authorised individuals
• Strong passwords and regular password changes are important to maintain security
• It is recommended to use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters in passwords

Advantages and disadvantages of Passwords

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Strong passwords are difficult to crack Regularly changing passwords increases the security Using a range of passwords over the system will stop or slow access to the full system	Passwords too complex can be harder to remember Too many passwords are hard to remember Harder to choose unique passwords if regularly updating Harder to remember if regularly updating Hackers can break most passwords