With high-value targets like user credentials, email accounts, and credit card details being stored on personal devices and transmitted freely over the internet, attempts to gain access to these prizes continue at an astonishing pace. Hacking – looking to gain unauthorized access to information by modifying the features of a system or network, or exploiting its vulnerabilities – is one … Read More
Encapsulating Security Protocol (ESP)
Messages, documents, and files sent via the internet are transmitted in the form of data packets using one or more transfer mechanisms or protocols such as TCP/IP. But how can we ensure that the information received is the authentic material which the originator of the message claims to have sent? That its confidentiality has been preserved along the way? And … Read More
What is Non-Repudiation? A Closer Look at the Principles, Techniques and Best Practices
The “He said, She said” dilemma – where one person claims a certain version of events that’s in partial or complete opposition to the story maintained by another – has been part of human interaction pretty much since the dawn of communication itself. Disputes of this kind are typically resolved through a majority show of faith in one of the … Read More
A Closer Look at the Authentication Header and its Role in Data Transmission and Integrity
Given that one of the preferred methods for spies and cyber-attackers is to intercept a data stream as it moves from its source to its destination, information security practitioners have to focus much of their effort on ensuring the integrity of data in transit. The Authentication Header is an important part of this. What is an Authentication Header? An Authentication … Read More
Spread Spectrum
You’ve doubtless heard about the dangers of WiFi, and the security risks resulting from wireless communications like Bluetooth over unencrypted channels. Though much of the threat in these technologies lies in the fact that information is being transmitted over them in a clear text form that’s easy for hackers to read, another aspect of the danger lies in the nature … Read More
Biba Integrity Model
Confidentiality, integrity, and availability make up the “security triad” as it applies to data. And one of the principal security models dedicated to preserving the integrity of information is the Biba integrity model, which we’ll be looking at today. Biba Integrity Model – Some History For years, matters of data confidentiality were largely dealt with by the Bell-LaPadula model, which … Read More