Security, privacy and integrity of data — AS & A Level Computer Science (9618) questions by topic
Describing what a digital certificate is, stating the meaning of privacy of data, describing the purpose of asymmetric key cryptography, and giving a method of protecting data integrity beyond verification are the recurring demands here, worth 4 to 14 marks across 13 real questions from 2023 to 2025 papers.
Describe, explain, identify, state and complete lead the command words, and describe or state here means a precise technical definition rather than an everyday paraphrase of the term. Because these short-answer definitions are easy to draft quickly, submitting several in a row for instant marking is an efficient way to check that each definition includes the specific detail the mark scheme requires.
May–June 2025, Paper 11
A banker stores personal data on their work computer. The banker needs to transfer confidential data across the internet. Identify and describe one method of restricting the risks…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 32
Identify the two main protocols that form Transport Layer Security (TLS) and state the purpose of each. Protocol 1 ............................................ Purpose…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 33
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are two protocols. Explain how SSL/TLS is used when client-server communication is initiated.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 12
The assessment board needs to make sure the data stored on the server is secure. Authentication methods can help to protect the server against hackers. Identify one other security…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 31
Describe what is meant by a digital certificate.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 32
Sheila has a customer called Fred. Fred wants to send Sheila a confidential document as part of a transaction. Explain how Fred uses asymmetric encryption to send his document…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 33
Describe what is meant by a digital certificate.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 13
Data needs to be kept secure when stored on a computer and during transmission over a network. Explain how a digital signature is used to authenticate a digital document during…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 31
Encryption is used to alter data into a form that makes it meaningless if intercepted. Describe the purpose of asymmetric key cryptography.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 32
Encryption is used to scramble data to make it meaningless if intercepted. Describe the purpose of quantum cryptography.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 33
Encryption is used to alter data into a form that makes it meaningless if intercepted. Describe the purpose of asymmetric key cryptography.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 12
October–November 2023, Paper 13
Data verification is one method of protecting the integrity of data. Describe one other method of protecting the integrity of data.
Answer this question and get it marked →Other AS & A Level Computer Science topics
- Programming (79)
- Data types and structures (74)
- Algorithm design and problem-solving (36)
- Information representation (31)
- Communication and internet technologies (29)
- Boolean algebra and logic circuits (29)
- Processor fundamentals (27)
- Software development (27)
- Hardware (18)
- System software (17)
- Databases (13)
- Artificial intelligence (13)