What do you need to establish computer security?
Created May 4, 2012
Lennart Jorelid
There are essentially four aspects of computer security:
| Aspect | Generally achieved by | Explanation | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confidentiality | Encryption | Protects message content from any but sender and recipient | Transmission eavesdroppers cannot read or use the message content. |
| Integrity | Message Digest | Verifies that a message has not been modified since it was sent | Transmission hijackers cannot modify message in transit |
| Authenticity | Digital Signature + Password | Uniquely identifies the sender of a message | Verification of actual sender possible |
| Nonrepudiation | Cryptographic Receipt | Prevents a sender from falsely denying sending a message | Message recipient can prove that a message was sent by sender |
The first two aspects restrict unwanted interception or modification of a message in transit between a sender and a recipient. The last two aspects ensures that the identity of the sender can be pinpointed.