Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook
An introduction to the field of law enforcement for IT professionals.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook
Frequently Asked Questions
The following Frequently Asked Questions, answered by the authors of this book, are designed to both measure your understanding of the concepts presented in this chapter and to assist you with real-life implementation of these concepts. To have your questions about this chapter answered by the author, browse to www.syngress.com/solutions and click on the Ask the Author form.
| 1. | Is it a good idea for an organization to buy encryption software that uses secret algorithms? |
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| 2. | Are digital signatures legally binding for signing documents such as contracts? |
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| 3. | Is a firewall a foolproof, all-encompassing security method? |
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Answers
| 1. | No. Most security experts advise that only well-known, trusted, and tested algorithms be used. Although a vendor may claim that its product is more secure because the algorithms it uses are proprietary or secret, in reality proprietary algorithms are considered to be generally unsafe. Most of the best algorithms are public ones; knowing the algorithm doesn t help a hacker crack the encryption if the cipher is a strong one. If a vendor doesn t want to make its algorithm public, that might mean the vendor isn t confident that the algorithm can stand up to public scrutiny. An excellent discussion of open standardized encryption versus proprietary technologies is available in Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World, by Bruce Schneier. |
| 2. | The short answer is: It depends. National and state governments in many jurisdictions have enacted laws governing the use of digital signatures for various types... |
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