Assignment 1: Cryptography
Due Week 4, Worth 10%
Question 1: Security professionals need to ensure that they keep up to date with the latest threats and security issues. This allows them to update their risk profiles, such as identifying if their systems are vulnerable. In order to determine what the risk to an organisation is, you need to know what the problems could be.
In this assignment, your task is to identify a recently announced security vulnerability and write a profile of the threat. The profile should contain the name of the threat, the systems it attacks, how it performs its attack, mitigation strategies and concluding reflection (100 words) on the adequacy of the mitigation strategies. The risk to an organisation using vulnerable systems should also be determined.
Your report should be maximum 2 pages and should contain relevant tables, calculations, a ranked list of threats (in terms of impact) and conclusions.
See the scoring sheet for this assignment, and ensure that your report fulfils the criteria listed.
Scoring Q1:
Type Score Description
Content
Fits with a profile 8 Appropriately choose a profile and stay within the parameters given. Reports that go outside the bounds will lose marks from this category.
Profile completion 10 Completes the problems identified within the profile. You gain marks for ensuring that all of the points mentioned in the profile are covered in your report.
Law 5 Reports should cover the impact of the law on their profile
International scope 12 Your problem is placed within the international security scene, appropriately justified and excellent concluding reflection.
Subtotal: 35 Subtotal for content
Presentation
Spelling and Grammar 5 The presentation’s content is appropriately written in English, with no spelling errors and grammar issues.
Presentation and Style 5 The report is well presented, with diagrams, headings, tables and other visual aids.
References 5 The report contains appropriate references and referencing style.
Subtotal: 15 Subtotal for presentation
Total: 50
Scoring
Type Score Description
Content
3 keys being generated 5 Keys of different sizes should be generated, contents of keys included and size estimated
File encryption 5 File encryption with two keys and results included with observation
Large file encryption 5 Analysis and observation of encryption time for large files
ASCII format 5 Need for keys and encrypted files to be in ASCII format
Key exchange for cryptography 5 Observation of key exchange and encryption and decryption
Reflection on use of cryptography 10 Role of cryptography in ensuring right to privacy
Subtotal: 35 Subtotal for content
Presentation
Spelling and Grammar 5 The presentation’s content is appropriately written in English, with no spelling errors and grammar issues.
Presentation and Style 5 The report is well presented, with diagrams, headings, tables and other visual aids.
References 5 The report contains appropriate references and referencing style.
Subtotal: 15 Subtotal for presentation
Total: 50