Data Protection and Security

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Introduction to Information Security

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Definitions

Main Security Measures

We have three main security measures:

1. Prevention
2. Detection
3. Reaction

As an example, consider a lock and an alarm in your door. The lock is for prevention whereas a door alarm can only detect the intrusion after it happens. Calling a police is a measure for reaction. Note that detection without reaction makes no sense and reaction is meaningful only if you detect something that is why these two measures should be linked to each other. Note also that prevention is our only bet in some situations, when the damage may not be irretrievable.

Another important issue regarding detection is the issue of false alarms. If there is an alarm but no intruders we call this a false positive. On the other hand, if there is an actual instance of intrusion but the alarm is not activated, this is a false negative. Of course the goal is to minimize both the number of false positives and false negatives.

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