Access Control & Identity Management Flashcards

What is the goal of access control in information security?

Answer: To protect sensitive data from unauthorized access

Access control is a fundamental security mechanism designed to regulate who or what can view or use resources within an information system. Its primary goal is to enforce policies that ensure only authorized individuals or systems can interact with sensitive data. This prevents unauthorized access, maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

Which of the following is an example of physical access control?

Answer: Security badge system

Physical access control refers to security measures that restrict physical entry to buildings, rooms, or specific areas. A security badge system is a direct example, as it requires a physical credential to unlock doors or gates, thereby controlling who can physically enter a restricted space. Other options like password policies or firewalls are forms of logical or technical access control.

What is the purpose of multifactor authentication (MFA)?

Answer: To verify identity using more than one factor

Multifactor authentication (MFA) enhances security by requiring users to provide two or more different types of verification factors from independent categories. These typically include something the user knows (like a password), something the user has (like a phone or token), and something the user is (like a fingerprint). This layered approach significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if one factor is compromised.

What is identity management in cybersecurity?

Answer: Ensuring proper administration of user identities and privileges

Identity management in cybersecurity encompasses the processes and technologies used to manage digital identities and their associated access rights across an organization. It focuses on creating, maintaining, and revoking user accounts and ensuring each user has the appropriate level of access (privileges) to systems and data based on their role. This is crucial for maintaining security, ensuring compliance, and streamlining operations.

Which of the following best represents 'least privilege'?

Answer: Providing access only necessary for specific job roles

The principle of 'least privilege' dictates that users, programs, or processes should be granted only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their specific tasks. This minimizes the potential damage from accidental errors, misuse, or malicious activity, as it limits the scope of what an attacker can do if an account is compromised. It is a cornerstone of robust security architecture.

Why is access control auditing important?

Answer: To evaluate and log access activity for security monitoring

Access control auditing involves regularly reviewing and analyzing records of who accessed what, when, and how. This process is crucial for detecting unauthorized access attempts, identifying policy violations, and monitoring user behavior. Audit logs provide critical evidence for forensic investigations and help ensure the ongoing effectiveness of access control policies.

What is an access control list (ACL)?

Answer: A record of access permissions for system resources

An Access Control List (ACL) is a list of permissions attached to an object, such as a file, folder, or network resource. It specifies which users or system processes are granted access to that object and what operations they are allowed to perform. ACLs act as a gatekeeper, defining granular access rights and enforcing security policies at the resource level.

What does role-based access control (RBAC) assign permissions based on?

Answer: Their organizational role or function

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is an access control model where permissions are associated with specific roles within an organization, rather than directly with individual users. Users are then assigned to one or more roles, inheriting the permissions associated with those roles. This simplifies management, especially in large organizations, by streamlining the assignment and revocation of access rights based on job functions.

How does identity federation work?

Answer: By sharing identity information across trusted domains

Identity federation allows users to use a single set of credentials to access multiple applications or services across different security domains without having to re-authenticate for each one. This is achieved by establishing trust relationships between identity providers and service providers, enabling the secure exchange of authentication and authorization information. It enhances user convenience and reduces administrative overhead.