Home · A-Level Computer Science 9618 · Security, privacy and data integrity · Security, privacy and integrity of data · Practice
AS · Practice questions · Security, privacy and integrity of data

Say exactly which.

Six original Cambridge-style questions on the meaning of security, privacy and integrity and on the measures that protect them, with mark-scheme style solutions.

Original questions All questions on this page are original work, written in the Cambridge AS & A Level style. They are not from past papers. They test the same concepts and skills the syllabus rewards.
Keep these straight

One idea per mark.

01
Explain
[3 marks]

Explain the difference between the terms security, privacy and integrity of data.

  • Security: protecting data from loss, corruption or unauthorised access (and being able to recover it). ✓
  • Privacy: the right of individuals to control who can access and use their personal data; data used only for the purpose it was collected for. ✓
  • Integrity: the data is accurate, complete, consistent and up to date. ✓
02
Apply
[4 marks]

A medical centre keeps patient records on a networked server. Describe two measures that protect the data and two measures that protect the computer system.

  • Data: regular backups stored off site, so records can be restored after loss or corruption. ✓
  • Data: encryption of the records, so stolen data cannot be understood (or access rights limiting who can read or edit records). ✓
  • System: a firewall that checks incoming and outgoing traffic against rules and blocks unauthorised traffic. ✓
  • System: anti-virus / anti-malware software kept up to date, or user accounts with strong passwords (any valid measure, described). ✓
03
Explain
[3 marks]

A company replaces passwords with fingerprint scanners. Give one advantage and two disadvantages of this change.

  • Advantage: a fingerprint cannot be forgotten, guessed or written down and shared. ✓
  • Disadvantage: false rejections, for example if a finger is cut, dirty or wet. ✓
  • Disadvantage: privacy concerns about storing biometric data, and a stolen fingerprint template cannot be changed like a password (or cost of the hardware). ✓
04
Explain
[4 marks]

Describe how a digital signature is created by the sender and checked by the receiver.

  • The sender produces a hash (message digest) of the message. ✓
  • The sender encrypts the hash with the sender's private key; this is the digital signature, sent with the message. ✓
  • The receiver decrypts the signature with the sender's public key to recover the hash. ✓
  • The receiver hashes the received message and compares the two hashes; if they match, the sender is authenticated and the message has not been altered. ✓
05
Analysis
[2 marks]

A student writes: "Encryption keeps data private because it stops hackers getting the data." Explain why this statement is not accurate.

  • Encryption does not stop data being accessed, intercepted or stolen. ✓
  • It makes the data unintelligible / meaningless to anyone who does not have the decryption key. ✓
06
Apply
[3 marks]

In a school system, teachers, students and office staff all use the same student records database. Describe how access rights could be set up to protect the data.

  • Each user logs in with their own account, which belongs to a group (teachers, students, office). ✓
  • Office staff: read/write access to contact and admin details; teachers: read/write to marks for their own classes, read-only elsewhere. ✓
  • Students: read-only access to their own record only, or no access to other students' records; this protects privacy and integrity. ✓

Mark this once you have attempted all six and checked your working. It records a Practiced badge on the topic and adds a one-time bonus. Revealing the solutions alone does not count.