Cybersecurity Concepts Overview

Authentication, Authorization and Accountability

• AAA stands for Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability
• Authentication verifies a user’s identity
• Authorization grants access based on verified identity
• Accountability tracks all user actions

System Availability

• System backups prevent data loss
• System resiliency ensures system uptime in case of failure
• Equipment maintenance optimizes system performance

Spam

• Spam is unsolicited electronic messages, often advertising
• Spam is used to spread malware
• Spam often contains misspelled words or punctuation errors
• Spam has keywords in it and may target a specific person or institution (spear phishing)

Phishing

• Phishing is a deceptive attempt to acquire sensitive information
• Spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations
• Smishing is phishing through SMS messages

Rootkits

• Rootkits are programs that modify operating systems to bypass authentication

Backdoors

• Backdoors bypass normal authentication mechanisms
• Backdoors are often implemented by criminals

Multi-factor Authentication

• Multi-factor authentication uses two or more verification methods
• Methods may include something you have (physical token), something you know (password) and something you are (biometrics)

Ciphertext

• Transposition ciphers rearrange letters
• Substitution ciphers replace letters
• One-time pads combine plaintext with a key to create ciphertext

AES Encryption

• The US government uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to protect classified information
• AES is a strong block cipher algorithm with 128-bit blocks
• AES uses longer key lengths than other ciphers

Steganography

• Steganography is the practice of hiding data within other data
• Steganography can use audio, image, or text files to conceal data

Data Masking

• Data masking replaces sensitive information with nonsensitive data
• This helps protect sensitive information without losing data functionality

Block Ciphers

• Block ciphers operate on fixed-length blocks of plaintext
• Block ciphers encrypt a block of plaintext into a block of ciphertext
• The same key is used in reverse to decrypt the ciphertext

Physical Access Controls

• Physical access controls are physical measures that restrict access
• Examples include locks, swipe cards, video cameras, and fences

Hashing

• Hashing creates a unique fingerprint for a file or data
• Hashing is used to verify data integrity
• Hashing ensures the data is not altered
• Hashing can be used in IPsec, PPP CHAP, and PKI certificates

Digital Signatures

• Digital signatures ensure authenticity and non-repudiation
• Digital signatures use cryptographic techniques to verify the sender's identity
• NIST approved digital signature algorithms include DSA, ECDSA, and RSA

Hashing and Salting

• Hashing generates a unique identifier from input data
• Salting adds random data to the input before hashing
• Salting makes it more difficult to crack passwords

Data Integrity

• Data integrity ensures data is accurate, complete, and consistent
• Data integrity can be achieved through validation rules, limitations, and encryption

Digital Certificates

• Digital certificates verify the identity of an organization or website
• Digital certificates provide an encrypted connection between the client and website

Hacker Classifications

• Black hat hackers engage in illegal activities
• Gray hat hackers operate in a gray area between legal and illegal
• Script kiddies exploit existing vulnerabilities
• White hat hackers work ethically to improve security

Early Warning Systems

• Early warning systems detect and respond to cyberattacks
• Examples include Infragard, honeynet projects, and the CVE database

Network Access Control (NAC)

• NAC enforces security policy by checking device compliance before network access
• NAC ensures devices meet security standards

Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN)

• NAS and SAN store data, but NAS uses a single storage device
• SAN uses multiple devices, allowing for more complex configurations

Encryption

• Encryption transforms data into an unreadable format
• Encryption protects confidentiality
• Encryption uses cryptographic algorithms

Impersonation Attacks

• Impersonation attacks exploit trusted relationships
• Spoofing attacks mimic a legitimate system or user
• Spoofing can involve MAC addresses, IP addresses, or ARP relationships

Malware

• Malware is malicious software that can harm systems and data
• Viruses infect files and spread through shared files
• Worms replicate autonomously
• Phishing attempts to trick users into providing sensitive information
• Spam is unsolicited electronic messages, often used for advertising

Buffer Overflow Attacks

• Buffer overflow attacks target applications
• Attacks exploit vulnerabilities by exceeding allocated memory
• This can cause crashes, data corruption, or provide attackers access to the system

This quiz covers essential cybersecurity principles, including Authentication, Authorization, Accountability, system availability, spam, phishing, and rootkits. You'll test your knowledge on how these concepts work together to protect information and systems. Perfect for anyone looking to enhance their understanding of cybersecurity.