Information Security (IT-801) - Important Questions

Define threat and attack. List and define the categories of security attacks.

What is steganography and how does it differ from cryptography / encryption?

Explain substitution techniques with suitable examples. Explain Caesar cipher and Playfair cipher in detail.

Define block cipher and explain its design principles of confusion and diffusion with suitable examples.

Explain diffusion and confusion and explain the steps of AES.

Explain the RSA algorithm with an example. Consider plaintext alphabet G using RSA with e=3, d=11 and n=15, find what it encrypts to and verify decryption recovers G.

Evaluate using Diffie-Hellman key exchange technique. Users A and B use a common prime q=11 and primitive root alpha=7 with private keys XA and XB. Compute public keys YA, YB and shared secret key.

Compare public-key and private-key cryptography and list various algorithms for each.

How message authentication code can be used to achieve message authentication and confidentiality?

Justify with an example why hashing alone does not ensure integrity of message in network communication.

Explain the design requirements/goals, architecture and versions of Kerberos.

How does PGP provide confidentiality and authentication service for e-mail and file storage applications? Draw the block diagram and explain its components.

What is Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) and how can it be achieved? Explain its components.

What is intrusion detection? Explain the role of an intrusion detection system and its types and benefits.

What are viruses? Explain virus-related threats and countermeasures.

Illustrate the three common types of firewalls with diagrams. Explain firewall design principles and how a firewall works.