Networking Concepts and Protocols Quiz

Local Area Networks (LANs) connect devices within a limited geographical area, such as a building or home.
Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect devices across larger geographic distances, encompassing cities, states, or even countries.

Body Area Networks (BANs) are wireless networks that connect devices worn on or implanted in the human body, for health monitoring, fitness tracking, or medical applications.

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computer networks that use the TCP/IP protocol suite to communicate.
It comprises various components like routers, servers, and clients, facilitating data exchange.

TCP/IP is a suite of protocols that define how devices communicate over the Internet.
The protocol stack organizes these protocols in layers, each performing specific functions like data transmission, routing, and application communication.

Constrained nodes are devices with limited resources, such as processing power, memory, and energy.
Constrained networks are networks that connect these constrained nodes, often used in the Internet of Things (IoT).

IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard for low-power, short-range wireless communication used in many IoT devices.
Zigbee is a wireless communication protocol based on IEEE 802.15.4, providing low-power, long-range connectivity for IoT applications.
Bluetooth is a wireless communication standard that allows devices to connect over short distances, commonly used for wireless headsets, speakers, and other peripherals.

MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight messaging protocol for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, widely used in IoT applications for reliable data exchange.

802.15.4 Mesh Network Topology: A network topology where devices connect to each other, creating multiple paths for data transmission, enhancing reliability and range.
IEEE 802.15.4g and 802.15.4e: Two variations of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, optimized for different frequency bands and applications in the IoT.
Time-Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH): A communication technique used in low-power wireless sensor networks, where devices hop between different frequency channels in a coordinated way to avoid interference and optimize energy consumption.
6LoWPAN: An IPv6 adaptation for low-power, constrained networks, allowing IoT devices to communicate directly over the Internet.
Wireless HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer): A wireless communication protocol commonly used in industrial automation and process control applications.

Encryption is the process of converting data into an unreadable format, protecting it from unauthorized access.
Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back to its original, readable format, allowing only authorized users to access the information.

Symmetric Encryption uses a single key for both encrypting and decrypting data. It's a quick and efficient method, ideal for large data volumes. A common example is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
Asymmetric Encryption uses a pair of keys - a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. This method increases security by allowing for secure key exchange. A well-known example is RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman).
Lightweight Cryptography is specifically designed for devices with limited resources. It incorporates algorithms like PRESENT and LEA, which are lighter and require less processing power.

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that ensures both encryption and authentication during data transmission. It is widely used in IoT devices for secure HTTP communication (HTTPS).
MQTT with SSL/TLS provides secure message queuing for light communication. It encrypts the payload exchanged between devices.
Message Integrity verifies the authenticity of data using hash functions. Techniques like HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) can be used for this purpose.

Key Generation involves the secure creation of cryptographic keys. It's crucial to generate unpredictable keys to minimize security risks.
Key Distribution refers to the secure sharing of keys between devices. This can be achieved using PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) or techniques like Diffie-Hellman key exchange.
Key Rotation involves regularly changing keys to prevent exploitation. This strategy helps mitigate risks if a key is compromised.

Hash Functions, like SHA-256 and SHA-3, produce fixed-size strings from input data. This ensures data integrity as any change in the data will result in a different hash value.
Digital Signatures use a private key to sign data, and the corresponding public key can be used to verify the authenticity and integrity of the data.
Checksums are a simple method to verify data integrity. They calculate a value that can detect errors in data transmission.

Mutual Authentication verifies the identities of both the client and server, preventing impersonation attacks.
OAuth 2.0 is an authorization framework allowing third-party applications to access resources without exposing sensitive credentials.
TLS Handshake establishes security parameters and authenticates devices before communication begins. This ensures that parties are legitimate through certificates.
Device Identity Management assigns a unique identity to each IoT device, facilitating tracking, access control, and security auditing.