Study guide: Protect a Shared Workspace
A pretend viewer needs a read-only report and receives an unexpected password request. State the correct permission, verification route and why two passwords are not different factor categories.
Ideas to explain in your own words
- Authentication checks an identity claim. Authorization determines allowed actions for that identity. A person may be correctly signed in and still lack permission to edit another person’s file. Our supplied access table is fictional; no real account is required.
- An access plan should grant the actions needed for a purpose rather than every possible action. A reader may need view permission without edit permission. A temporary task may need time-limited access. The lesson’s policy is a model, not a universal institutional rule.
- Phishing messages try to influence someone into revealing information or taking an unsafe action. A familiar name, logo or urgent claim is not proof of authenticity. A useful defense is to verify through a known independent route. The exercise uses pretend messages and never asks you to click or submit a credential.
- Authentication factors include something known, something possessed and an inherence factor such as a biometric. Using two passwords does not combine different factor categories. Factors can reduce risks but do not guarantee safety, and this lesson only classifies supplied examples. Never enter a real password or code.
Useful vocabulary
- authentication
- Checking an identity claim.
- authorization
- Determining allowed actions on resources.
- least privilege
- The minimum permissions needed for a purpose.
Watch your reasoning
- Being signed in is not permission to access every record.
- More permission increases possible misuse without necessarily improving the task.
- A message can imitate a familiar sender or display name.
- Two knowledge secrets are not two different factor categories.
A worked review example
The file’s owner edits their own document. The table labels this access Owner because the identity is the owner and the action is editing their own file. A Viewer record instead describes reading a permitted view-only copy; Guest describes an unsigned-in public visitor; Assigned staff describes a staff assignment. The labels classify the supplied access context rather than claiming only one kind of person may view a public help page. Password only. Classify the supplied example. The supported answer is Knowledge. Classify the evidence by what is known, possessed or inherent; distinguish a combination of categories. Two knowledge secrets are not two different factor categories. Authentication factors include something known, something possessed and an inherence factor such as a biometric.
Make a practice plan
- Draw or tell one computing idea from each of the four lessons. Give one example of using each idea.
- Use the example to explain one mistake to avoid.
- Try the unit review before opening the explanations.
- Try the new task on paper or say your answer. Then compare your steps with the example answer.