Sample Midterm

  1. Why is a precise statement of security requirements critical to the determination of whether a given system is secure?
  2. Please label the following as a "policy" or a "mechanism":
    1. Only students may use the system.
    2. A program that checks that the user enters the correct password.
    3. Systems can be connected to the Internet on alternate Thursdays only.
    4. An access control list.
  3. Encipher the message IT IS A BOY OR A GIRL using a Vigenère cipher with key ABCDE.
  4. Define each of the following terms in one short sentence:
    1. public key cryptosystem
    2. certificate
    3. ciphertext
    4. confidentiality
    5. biometrics

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