Security Flashcards
(32 cards)
Why is security systems matter?
- Systems must be trustworthy as we depend on them
- Security breaches are very costly
- Complex systems will inevitably have design flaws that can be manipulated
Why does robotic security matter?
- Hacked robots can harass users
- Can cause accidents and damage
- Low security can cause distrust in robotics
What is the CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) triad?
a foundational model for understanding security requirements, and minimise threats
What its confidentiality?
Resources/data that should only be accessible for authorised users
What are practical methods of protecting confidential data?
Encryption, access control, authentication
What is meant by integrity?
Resources/data should only be modified or removes by authorised users
What are practical methods for keeping integrity?
- Checksums
- Hashing
- Digital signatures
- Version control
What is meant by availability?
Resources is accessible whenever needed by authorised users
What can help availability?
- Fast performance
- Backup servers
- Reliable systems that don’t fail
What are the Security Design Principles?
- Economy of Mechanism
- Fail-safe defaults
- Complete Meditation
- Open design
- Separation of privilege
- Least privilege
- Least common mechanism
- Psychological acceptability
What is economy of mechanism?
Keep designs as simple, reducing the chance of errors
Why is economy of mechanism useful?
Less code means less bugs and simpler verification
What is fail-safe defaults
Deny by default; only grant access if explicitly allowed.
Mistakes revert the system to secure state
What is complete mediation?
Authorisation is re-validated on every request
What is complete mediation useful for?
Prevent attackers from having indefinite access after entering system
What is open design?
The security mechanisms are transparent and public
Why is open design useful?
Designs are peer-reviewed and under public criticism
What is separation of privilege?
Divide power so no single entity can control the entire system
Why is separation of privilege useful?
Reduces threats and accidental misuse
How can separation of privilege be used in banking?
transactions require approval from multiple roles
What is defence in depth?
Several layers of security protect assets; If one layer fails, the rest still protect the assets
What is least privilege?
A subject only has privileges necessary for its task
How can least privilege be used in robotics?
Robots can read given data, but cannot alter databases or write system logs
What is least common mechanism?
Minimises shared resources
