CISA EXAM

Points to ponder

HASHING
Is irreversible. Hence works one way only.
Creates an output smaller than original message
Verifies integrity of message using same algorithm
Creates Message Digest

ENCRYPTION
Is reversible
Creates output of same length as original message
Encryption / Decryption uses different algorithm

CRYPTOGRAPHY
Asymmetric Keys More processing power
Symmetric Keys Less compute needed
Symmetric Key = Secret Key
Symmetric Keys less complicated
Symmetric Keys ideal for encrypting large volume
of data.
Genesis of Asymmetric keys Challenge to
distribute symmetric keys among larger user base
Advantage of Asymmetric keys safer to handover
to unknown / untrusted entities like in e-Commerce.

SUPPRESSING FIRE IN DATA CENTRE

Halon Gas: Efficient & Effective as no threat to
human life but not environment friendly &
Expensive
Wet-pipe sprinklers : Water environment friendly
and effective with automatic power shut-off. But
carries risk of leakage.
Dry-pipe sprinklers: The BEST method
Carbon dioxide gas : Environment friendly but
automatic release harmful to human life.

DATA TRANSMISSION
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
Works on the transmission model of handshaking
Provides data integrity, reliability and ordering
of packets
Does packet error checking increased latency

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Works on simple transmission model without
implicit handshaking routines
Does not provide data integrity, reliability and
ordering of packets.
No error checking reduced latency
Avoids overhead on network interface level
Compatible with packet broadcast

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Kerberos : Network Authentication Protocol
used in Client-Server applications restricts
access only for authorized users. The name is
taken from Greek mythology; Kerberos was a
three-headed dog who guarded the gates of
Hades. Preventive
Vitality detection : Personal authentication
systems Biometric applications Vulnerability
of deceiving fingerprint scanners through
artificial fingers - Spoofing attacks Detective
Multimodal biometrics : Systems capable of
using more than one physiological / behavioural
characteristics - Mimicry attacks Detective
Before image / after image logging : logging
of database transactions Detective

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Phishing : Email attack Social Engineering attack
Best control is awareness training.
Content filtering proxy server : Used to monitor
effectively users access to authorized internet sites.
Reverse Proxy Server : Used to provide secure
remote connection to Corporate site Outbound
requests to access internet sites does not control
employee web access.
Packet-filtering Firewall : packet filtering is the
process of passing or blocking packets at a network
interface based on source and destination addresses,
ports, or protocols. Program that examines the header
of each packet based on a specific set of rules, and on
that basis, decides to prevent it from passing (called
DROP) or allow it to pass (called ACCEPT).

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Parsing : To examine closely or subject to
detailed analysis, especially by breaking up into
components.
Steganography : Steganography is of Greek
origin and means "concealed writing". Is the art
and science of writing hidden messages in such a
way that no one, apart from the sender and
intended recipient, suspects the existence of the
message.
cryptography protects the contents of a message,
steganography can be said to protect both
messages and communicating parties.

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Security Controls while setting up a
Wireless LAN :
Service Set Identifiers (SSID) has weakness to expose
the access point. Once access point is reached, weak
default passwords and encryption keys can be
restored. Network authentication and encryption can
also be removed. Motivates hackers to attack.
Physically secure wireless routers prevents theft,
no tampering with device settings by malicious
parties.

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Certificate Authority

Prime functions are:

Revocation, Suspension, Issuance and
distribution of the subscriber. It forms part
of Subscriber Certificate Life Cycle
Management.
Can perform establishing link between
requesting entity and its Public key
Else
Can delegate to Registration Authority.

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Virus Walls
o In an interconnected network, virus scanning
software integrated with firewall is referred as
Virus walls.
o Virus walls scan incoming traffic to detect and
remove viruses, before they enter protected
network.
o Thus spread of viruses are controlled by
detecting them at the point of entry.
o Provides Network-level protection.

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Piggybacking

o Piggybacking refers to unauthorized

persons following, either physically or
virtually,
authorized
persons
into
restricted areas i.e. tailgating authorized
persons.
Dumpster Diving
o looking through an organization's trash for
valuable information
o Shoulder Surfing

o Using social networking retrieve desired

information.

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Cold Site
o Facility with space and basic infrastructure.
No hardware, software, data or support
personnel.

o Warm Site
o Facility with space and basic infrastructure.
Hardware with lesser capacity to at least
restore the essential business operations.

o Hot Site
o Identical to primary site. Only most recent
data need to be loaded to resume operations.

EXPLANATIONS TO NOTE
o Incident Response Plan
o Establishes procedures to identify, mitigate and
recover from the security incidents.

o IT Contingency Plan
o Addresses IT disruptions
procedures to recover.

and

establishes

o Business Continuity Plan

o Addresses business processes and provides procedures for
sustaining essential business operations.

o Continuity of operations Plan

o addresses the subset of an organization's
critical
missions
and
establishes
procedures to sustain these functions from
an alternate site.