Mumbai University Solved Question Papers
Information and Network Security
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
BSc CS · Sem 5
2023-24 Examination
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BSc CS Sem 5 Information and Network Security 2023-24 Question Paper with Solutions
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First published on munotes.in on 17 October 2026.
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Model answers written and edited by the munotes.in editorial desk.
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The University does not publish an official answer key for this paper. The answers in this volume are model answers, written to show how a full-mark answer is built. They are a study aid, not an authority on what an examiner marked.
The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by the University of Mumbai at the 2023-24 examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as the University of Mumbai set it at the 2023-24 examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2023-24 examination, reproduced as the University of Mumbai set them, in the order it set them. Nothing has been reworded, added or left out. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 2½ hours · Total marks 75 · 24 questions answered
Instructions printed on the paper
- N.B. (1) All questions are compulsory. (2) Figures to the right indicate marks. (3) Illustrations, in-depth answers and diagrams will be appreciated. (4) Mixing of sub-questions is not allowed.
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
SECTION I
Q.1
Attempt ANY FOUR from the following · 20 Marks
(a)Define computer security. What are the objectives of computer security?[5]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the definition with the assets it protects, the objectives (confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity, accountability) with a line each, and the challenges that make computer security hard.
Definition
Computer security is the protection given to an automated information system so that it meets its objectives of preserving the integrity, availability and confidentiality of its resources (NIST's Computer Security Handbook). The resources are:
- Hardware: computers, storage and network devices.
- Software: operating systems, applications and utilities.
- Firmware.
- Information and data: files, databases, configuration data, passwords.
- Telecommunications: the links between them.
Objectives
- Confidentiality: information is disclosed only to those authorised to see it, and people keep control over information about themselves (privacy).
- Integrity: information and programs change only in authorised ways, and the system does its job without unauthorised manipulation.
- Availability: the system works promptly and service is not denied to authorised users.
- Authenticity: users, and the sources of messages and data, are genuine and can be verified.
- Accountability: every action can be traced to the entity that did it, supporting non-repudiation, intrusion detection, recovery and legal action; records are kept to make this possible.
The first three form the CIA triad; the last two are widely added to complete the picture.
Why it is hard
- Security requirements sound simple but the mechanisms are complex.
- Every mechanism must be designed with possible attacks in mind, and attackers look for the one weakness the designer missed.
- Deciding where to put mechanisms, physically and in which protocol layer, is not obvious.
- Mechanisms depend on secret information (keys) whose creation and distribution raise their own problems.
- It is a battle of wits between attacker and defender, and the attacker needs only one hole.
- Its benefit is seen only after a failure, so it is easy to underinvest.
- It needs constant monitoring, which is hard in today's busy environments.
- Security is often an afterthought, added after the design is finished.
- Users and managers may see strong security as an obstacle to efficient work.
Conclusion. Computer security is the protection of an information system's hardware, software, firmware, data and communications to preserve their confidentiality, integrity and availability, with authenticity and accountability as further objectives. It is difficult because mechanisms are complex, attackers need only one weakness, keys must be managed, benefits are invisible until a failure, and security is too often added late.
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