Information security mechanism

Information security mechanism

Security mechanisms are technical tools and techniques that are used to implement security service. A mechanism might operate by itself, or with others, to provide a particular service. Example of common security mechanisms are as follows;

Identification and authentication

Identification is the ability to identify uniquely a user of a system or an application that is running in the system . Authentication is the ability to prove that a user or application is genuinely who that person or what that applications claims to be. Authorization protects critical resources in a system by limiting access only to authorized users and their applications. It prevents the unauthorized use of a resource in an unauthorized manner. The common forms of authorization are :

Password

A password is a secret word or phrase that gives an authorized user access to a particular program or a system. It is valid and legal locking and opening system of computer with software. Password is created using the combination of alphanumeric characters available in the keyboard. We need to keep very strong password in order to make our data, program, software, safe and secure.

Rules for creating a strong password.

1. The password must be at least of six characters.
2. The password should of mixed letters and numbers.
3. The password should not be so common and popular names.
4. The password should be confidential.
5. the password must be frequently modified.
6. The password must be difficult to guess by others.

Backup System

Data backup is a process of duplicating data to allow retrieval of the duplicate set after a data loss event. Today, there e many kinds of data backup services which helps enterprises and organizations that data is secure and critical information is not lost in a natural disaster, theft situation or other kind of emergency . Data recovery is the process of restoring data that has been lost, accidentally deleted , corrupted or made inaccessible from the backed up data. In enterprise IT, data recovery typically refers to the restoration of data to a desktop, laptop, server or external storage system from a backup. 

Therefore: backup or data backup is the process of making an  additional or reverse copy of data , programs and software for future restoring when required.

Biometric

Biometric is biological measurements or physical characteristics that can be used to identify individuals. Fingerprint mapping, facial recognition , and retina scans are all forms of biometric technology, but these are just the most recognized options. Biometrics covers a variety of technologies in which unique identifiable attributes of people are used for identification and authentication.

Firewalls:

A firewall is also  a software security measures which prevents unauthorized users from accessing a computer or network without restricting those who are authorized. Firewalls can be implemented with hardware or software. Some computer operating system include software firewalls in  the operating system itself. For example, Microsoft Windows has a built-in firewall. Routers and servers can include firewalls. There are also dedicated hardware firewalls that have no other function other than protecting a network from unauthorized access.

Antivirus Software:

An antivirus is a software utility designed to protect the computer or network against computer viruses. Antivirus software , originally designed to detect and remove viruses from computers, can also protect against a wide  variety of  threats. If and when a virus is detected, the computer displays a warning asking what action should be done , often giving the options to remove, ignore or move the file to the vault. Norton, Kaspersky, Node32, Quick heal, AVG (Anti virus guard ) . Central point Anti, Panda, Microsoft etc. are the common types of antiviruses.

Advantages of anti virus

There are several advantages of using an antivirus; some of them are listed below:

• Real time Protection of computer.
• Detects viruses attached to download.
• Scans computer's hard drive for virus free
• Scans portable and removable media.

Functions of an antivirus

Antivirus software typically runs as a background process, scanning computers, servers or mobile devices to detect and restrict the spread of malware. Antivirus software usually performs these basic functions:

• Scanning directories or specific files for known malicious patterns indicating the presence of malicious software.
• Allowing users to schedule scans so they run automatically.
• Allowing users to initiate new scans at any time.
• Removing any malicious software it detects.

Cryptography:

Cryptography provides for secure communication in the presence of malicious third parties known as adversaries. It is associated with the process of converting ordinary plain text into unintelligible text and vice-versa. It is a method of storing and transmitting data in a particular form so that only those for whom it is intended can read and process it. Cryptography is used in many applications like banking transactions cards, computer passwords, and e-commerce transactions.

i. Encryption:

Simply encryption is the translation of data into a secret code. It is the most effective way to achieve data security. Encryption is the process of taking plain text, like a message or email, and scrambling it into an unreadable format-called 'cipher text'. This helps protect the confidentiality of digital data either stored on computer systems or transmitted through a network like the internet. When the intended recipient access the message, the information is translated back to its original form. This is called decryption. To unlock the message, both the sender and the recipient have to use a 'secret' encryption key- a collection of algorithms that scramble and unscramble data back to a readable format. 

ii. Decryption: 

The conversion of encrypted data into tis original form is called Decryption. It is generally a reverse process of encryption. It decodes the encrypted information so that an authorized user can only decrypt the data because decryption requires a secret key or password. One of the reasons for implementing an encryption-decryption system is privacy. As information travels over the internet, it is necessary to examine the access from unauthorized organizations or individuals. Due to this, the data is encrypted to reduce data loss and theft.

Few common items that are encrypted include text files, images, e-mail messages, user data and directories. The recipient of decryption receives a prompt or window in which a password can be entered to access the encrypted data. For decryption, the system extracts and converts the garbled data and transforms it into words and images that are easily understandable not only by a reader but also by a system. Decryption can be done manually or automatically. It may also be performed with a set of keys or passwords.