Information
Security
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Attacks, Services and
Mechanisms
• Security Attack: Any action that
compromises the security of information.
• Security Mechanism: A mechanism
that is designed to detect, prevent, or
recover from a security attack.
• Security Service: A service that
enhances the security of data processing
systems and information transfers. A
security service makes use of one or more
security mechanisms.
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Security Threats
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Security Threats
• Interruption: This is an attack on
availability
• Interception: This is an attack on
confidentiality
• Modification: This is an attack on
integrity
• Fabrication: This is an attack on
authenticity
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Security Goals
Confidentiali
ty
Integrity
Avalaibilit
y
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Security Attacks
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Security Services
A. Confidentiality (privacy)
B. Authentication (who created or sent the data)
C. Integrity (has not been altered)
D. Non-repudiation (the order is final)
E. Access control (prevent misuse of resources)
F. Availability (permanence, non-erasure)
– Denial of Service Attacks
– Virus that deletes files
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A. Data confidentiality
These services provide for the protection of data from unauthorized disclosure as
described below
a) Connection confidentiality - provides for the confidentiality of all user-data
on a connection
b) Connectionless confidentiality - provides for the confidentiality of all user-
data in a single data block.
c) Selective field confidentiality - provides for the confidentiality of selected
fields within the user-data on a connection or in a single data block.
d) Traffic flow confidentiality This service provides for the protection of the
information which might be derived from observation of traffic flows.
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B. Authentication
The Assurance that the communicating entity is the one that it claims it to
be.
a) Peer entity authentication This service, when provided by the
(N)-layer, provides validation to the (N - 1)-entity that the peer
entity is the claimed (N)-entity.
b) Data origin authentication This service, when provided by the
(N)-layer, provides corroboration to an (N + 1)-entity that the
source of the data is the claimed peer (N + 1)-entity.
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C. Integrity
Assurance that data received are exactly as sent by an unauthorized entity (i.e. contain
no modification, insertion, deletion or replay.
a) Connection integrity with recovery
• provides for the integrity of all user-data on a connection
• detects any modification, insertion, deletion or replay of any
data within an entire data sequence (with recovery attempted).
b) Connection integrity without recovery
• the previous one but with no recovery attempted.
c) Selective field connection integrity –
• provides for the integrity of selected fields within the user data of data
block transferred over a connection and determine whether the selected
fields have been modified, inserted, deleted or replayed.
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C. Integrity (contd..)
d) Connectionless integrity
– provides for the integrity of a single data block
– determine whether a received data block has been modified.
– Additionally, a limited form of detection of replay may be
provided.
e) Selective field connectionless integrity
provides for the integrity of selected fields within a single
connectionless data block
determine whether the selected fields have been modified.
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D. Non-repudiation
• Provides protection against denial by one of the entities involved in a
communication of having participated in all or part of the communication.
a) Non-repudiation , Origin
• Proof that the message was sent by the specified party -
This will protect against any attempt by the sender to
falsely deny sending the data or its contents.
b) Non-repudiation, Destination
• Proof that the message was message was received by the specified
party
This will protect against any subsequent attempt by the recipient to
falsely deny receiving the data or its contents.
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E. Access control
Provides protection against unauthorized use of resources accessible
Example: the service controls who can have access to a resource,
under what circumstances, and what those accessing the resource are
allowed to do.
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F. Availability
• The property of a system or a system
resource being accessible and usable upon
demand by an authorized system entity.
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Security Mechanisms
Security Mechanism: A mechanism that is
designed to detect, prevent, or recover from a
security attack.
Sec. Mech. Types
Specific security Pervasive security
mechanisms mechanisms
May be incorporated into the Mechanisms that are not specific
appropriate protocol layer in order to any particular OSI security
to provide some of the OSI service or protocol layer.
security services. 15
Specific Security Mechanisms
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Mechanisms Explanation
Encipherment The use of mathematical algorithms to transform data into a form that is
not readily intelligible. The transformation and subsequent recovery of
the data depend on an algorithm and zero or more encryption keys.
Digital Signature Data appended to, or a cryptographic transformation of, a data unit that
allows a recipient of the data unit to prove the source and integrity of the
data unit and protect against forgery (e.g., by the recipient). See
Access Control Mechanisms that enforce access rights to resources.
Data Integrity Mechanisms used to assure the integrity of a data unit or stream of data
units.
Authentication A mechanism intended to ensure the identity of an entity by means of
Exchange information exchange
Traffic Padding The insertion of bits into gaps in a data stream to frustrate traffic
analysis attempts.
Routing Control Enables selection of particular physically secure routes for certain data
and allows routing changes, especially when a breach of security is
suspected.
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Notarization The use of a trusted third party to assure certain properties of a data
Relationship between Security Services and Mechanisms
Mechanism
Authentica
Encipher Digital Access Data Traffic Routing Notarizati
Service tion
ment Signature Control Integrity Padding Control on
Exchange
Peer entity
authentication Y Y Y
Data origin
authentication Y Y
Access control Y
Confidentiality Y Y
Traffic flow
confidentiality Y Y Y
Data integrity Y Y Y
Nonrepudiation Y Y Y
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Availability Y Y
Digital Signature
• digital
signature –
mathematical
scheme for
demonstrating
the authenticity
of a digital
message or
document.
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Pervasive security
mechanisms
Mechanisms Explanation
Trusted That which is perceived to be correct with respect to some criteria (e.g.,
Functionality as established by a security policy).
Security Label The marking bound to a resource (which may be a data unit) that
names or designates the security attributes of that resource.
Event Detection Detection of security-relevant events.
Security Audit Trail Data collected and potentially used to facilitate a security audit, which
is an independent review and examination of system records and
activities.
Security Recovery Deals with requests from mechanisms, such as event handling and
management functions, and takes recovery actions.
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Henric Johnson 22
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Methods of Defence
1. Encryption
2. Software Controls (access limitations in a
data base, in operating system protect
each user from other users)
3. Hardware Controls (smartcard)
4. Policies (frequent changes of passwords)
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5. Physical Controls
Internet standards and
RFCs
• The Internet society – coordinating
committee for Internet design,
engineering, mgmt.
– Internet Architecture Board (IAB)
– Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
– Internet Engineering Steering Group
(IESG)
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Technical Specifications
Internet RFC Publication Process
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Recommended Reading
• Pfleeger, C. Security in Computing.
Prentice Hall, 1997.
• Mel, H.X. Baker, D. Cryptography
Decrypted. Addison Wesley, 2001.
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Henric Johnson
