This document is the first semester comprehensive examination for a network security course taken through Birla Institute of Technology & Science's distance learning program. The exam contains 7 questions worth a total of 60% of the course grade and is open book. The questions cover topics like Kerberos vs. PKCS security architectures, recommendations for a multi-location university's security needs, appropriate uses of SSL and TLS, solutions for group security problems using cryptographic techniques, evaluations of firewalls, VPNs, and application gateways, situations where stream vs. block ciphers are applicable, and why stream ciphers are inherently weaker than block ciphers.
This document is the first semester comprehensive examination for a network security course taken through Birla Institute of Technology & Science's distance learning program. The exam contains 7 questions worth a total of 60% of the course grade and is open book. The questions cover topics like Kerberos vs. PKCS security architectures, recommendations for a multi-location university's security needs, appropriate uses of SSL and TLS, solutions for group security problems using cryptographic techniques, evaluations of firewalls, VPNs, and application gateways, situations where stream vs. block ciphers are applicable, and why stream ciphers are inherently weaker than block ciphers.
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Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Distance Learning Programmes Division
First Semester 2007-2008
Comprehensive Examination (EC-2 Regular)
Course No. : SS ZG513
Course Title : NETWORK SECURITY Nature of Exam : Open Book Weightage : 60% No. of Pages =1 Duration : 3 Hours No. of Questions = 7 Date of Exam : 29/09/2007 (FN) Note: 1. Please follow all the Instructions to Candidates given on the cover page of the answer book. 2. All parts of a question should be answered consecutively. Each answer should start from a fresh page. 3. Mobile phones and computers of any kind should not be brought inside the examination hall. 4. Use of any unfair means will result in severe disciplinary action.
Q.1 What are the real-life situations that may warrant use of Kerberos-5 based security architecture vis-à-vis the PKCS based security architecture? [5]
Q.2 Which security architecture would you recommend for a multi-location financial institution university that also has a huge internship programme to support? Justify your recommendation with the help of proper technical reasoning. [10]
Q.3 Explain briefly when and why SSL & TSL will be your choice. [5]
Q.4 Consider the following “Group Security” problem
a. A Group G of principals needs to exchange a secret information communicating this secret on public channels. b. No one outside G must be able to exchange a secret with any one in G by sending or receiving messages or by eavesdropping c. No one outside G must be able to modify the secrets being transmitted
i. Propose a solution for the above problem by choosing appropriate cryptographic
primitives and algorithms that satisfy the requirements above. Substantiate your choices ii. What is the minimum number of keys needed for solving the problem in the question above? Justify your answer. [10 + 5 = 15]
Q.5 Evaluate the following in the context of peripheral security with respect to ease of implementation, their effectiveness of security, and performance overhead [15] i. Firewall. ii. Virtual private networks. iii. Application Gateways.
Q.6 What are the situations in which Stream Ciphers are used and which situations warrant use of Block Ciphers and why. [5]
Q.7 Why do the Stream Ciphers seem to be inherently weaker than the Block Ciphers? [5]
