3_5_3 Understand Network Security

• The data protection act means that you are responsible for any data that you store on another person. This must be kept safely and securely or you are liable to prosecution.
• If a cracker gains physical access to a network then they could cause serious damage to the data and the network infrastructure.

Authentication is checking that the user trying to access a network is allowed access to that network. The most common type of authentication is a username and password. This can be made more secure through:

• Additional data (a 2nd password)
• Finger print ID
• Voice recognition
• RFID tags and readers
• Chip and pin
• Iris scanners

Encrypting data is encoding it using a key. That key must then be used to decrypt the data. This is how HTTPS works. This video shows how public and private keys are used to exchange encrypted data.

Firewalls protect a network from unwanted access from outside the network. Watch this video for a thorough explanation.

Any device that is designed to access a network has a factory installed MAC address. It is a unique identifier for a network device. A company can set up a network so that only registered MAC Addresses can access it. It is possible to gain a MAC Address and "spoof" it to gain unauthorised access. This is why other authentication is essential to avoid this happening.

1. Download and print the test paper here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5fLtQ0Xgr2PU0swS1pmZlI4Nnc
2. Try the mock test yourself.
3. Use the 3.5.3 Walking Talking Mock below to guide you through answering the questions.