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COMPUTER SOFTWARE APPLICATION - CITS




           •  Authentication
           Authentication is a procedure that verifies and affirms an individual’s identity or authorized role. It encompasses
           various methods, often relying on a combination of the following factors:
           •  Something the individual possesses (such as a smart card or a radio key containing confidential keys).
           •  Something the individual knows (like a password).
           •  Something intrinsic to the individual (such as a fingerprint).
           Authentication is indispensable for organizations as it empowers them to ensure the security of their networks by
           granting access solely to authenticated users for their safeguarded assets. These assets might span computer
           systems, networks, databases, websites, as well as other web-based applications or services.

           •  Authorization
           Authorization serves as a security protocol that confers the right to perform certain actions or possess specific
           privileges. Its purpose lies in establishing whether an individual or system possesses the entitlement to access
           resources,  following  an  access  control  framework.  These  resources  encompass  an  array  of  elements  such
           as computer software, files, services, data, and attributes of applications. Normally, authorization follows the
           preliminary  step  of  authentication,  which  validates  the  identity  of  the  user.  System  administrators  often  hold
           designated permission levels that encompass both system-wide and user-specific resources. In the process of
           authorization, a system validates the access regulations of an authenticated user, subsequently permitting or
           denying access to the designated resources
           •  Physical security

           Physical  security  encompasses  strategies  implemented  to  prevent  unauthorized  entry  to  IT  assets,  such  as
           facilities, equipment, personnel, resources, and other valuable properties, with the aim of averting damage. Its
           primary role is safeguarding these assets against tangible hazards, which encompass risks like theft, vandalism,
           fires, and natural catastrophes.
           Integrity

           This  refers  to  the  protection  of  information  from  unauthorized  modification,  deletion,  or  corruption.  Integrity
           ensures that information is accurate and trustworthy. Methods to ensure integrity include data validation checks,
           digital signatures, and access controls.

           Tools for Integrity
















           Backups
           Backup involves creating regular copies of data or files. This is done to have duplicates available in case the
           original  data  is  lost  or  damaged. Additionally,  backups  can  serve  historical  purposes  like  long-term  studies,
           statistics, or meeting data retention policies. In various systems, including Windows, applications often generate
           backup files with the “.BAK” extension.
           Checksum
           A checksum is a numeric value utilized to validate the accuracy of a file or data transfer. It’s essentially a calculation
           that transforms the contents of a file into a numerical value. Its main purpose is to compare two sets of data and
           confirm their equivalence. The calculation of a checksum takes into account the complete content of a file. The
           design of a checksum function ensures that even a minor alteration in the input file, like a single bit being flipped,
           is highly likely to produce a distinct output value.



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                              CITS : IT&ITES - Computer Software Application - Lesson 01-17
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