← QCE Digital Solutions Unit 4

Criteria for a data exchange solution: protection, security and interactions

Measurable standards used to judge how well a data exchange solution protects data, keeps it secure (CIA) and interacts with other systems and users.

Part of: QCE Digital Solutions Unit 4 — Complex Digital Data Exchange Problems and Solution Requirements — Module 58

Understanding Criteria for a data exchange solution: protection, security and interactions in QCE Digital Solutions Unit 4

What it does: Availability is part of the CIA triad, and 99.5% uptime gives a number the team can measure to judge the security of the exchange. The percentage and time limit let the team test how well the solution works for users, which is an interaction criterion. A good criterion can be checked with evidence. 'Feels safe' is a opinion, but encryption in transit and at rest can be tested. Confidentiality is about who can see the data. Uptime tests availability, not confidentiality. Matching checksums show the data was not changed in transit. Passwords control access, which is confidentiality. Availability means data and the service can be reached when needed. Hashes support integrity.

Common mistakes: An availability criterion is met when uptime is at least the target. The test should use ≥ (uptime ≥ target), not ≤, which would pass a system with poor uptime. The confidentiality criterion needs BOTH encryption and a login. OR passes with only one control, so it should be encrypted AND login.

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Learning
Duo
Which is a measurable criterion for protecting personal data in a data exchange solution?
All personal fields are encrypted in transit and at restThe solution should feel safe to use
Matches
Criterion: The data exchange must be very secure
↓
The criterion is vague and not measurable, so nobody can test whether it has been met. It should name a target, such as 'All logins require multi-factor authentication'.
Applying
Meanings
Term
data exchange criteria
Meaning
Measurable standards used to judge how well a data exchange solution protects data, keeps it secure (CIA) and interacts with other systems and users.
Practice
Protection: 100% of personal data is encrypted at rest
Testing
Gaps
IF encrypted = THEN
Check Answer
Spots
2uptime ← 99.95
3met ← uptime ≤ target

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Quick Questions

1. Which is a measurable criterion for protecting personal data in a data exchange solution?
A. All personal fields are encrypted in transit and at rest ✓
B. The solution should feel safe to use
A good criterion can be checked with evidence. 'Feels safe' is a opinion, but encryption in transit and at rest can be tested.
2. Which criterion best tests CONFIDENTIALITY of exchanged data?
A. Only users with an assigned role can open student records ✓
B. The system is online 99.9% of the time
Confidentiality is about who can see the data. Uptime tests availability, not confidentiality.
3. Which criterion best tests INTEGRITY of exchanged data?
A. Every user must log in with a password
B. The checksum of each file received matches the checksum sent ✓
Matching checksums show the data was not changed in transit. Passwords control access, which is confidentiality.
4. Which criterion best tests AVAILABILITY of a data exchange solution?
A. Hash values are stored for every record
B. The API responds to 99% of requests within 2 seconds ✓
Availability means data and the service can be reached when needed. Hashes support integrity.
5. Which criterion judges how the solution interacts with OTHER SYSTEMS?
A. The system exports and imports data in valid JSON that other apps can read ✓
B. The buttons use the school colours
Interaction with other systems depends on shared formats and interfaces such as JSON. Colours are a user interface choice.

Match the Pairs

Criterion: 100% of personal data fields are encrypted in transit and at rest → A measurable protection criterion that judges how well personal data is kept safe during exchange and storage
Criterion: The API returns valid JSON that 3 partner systems can read without manual changes → A measurable interaction criterion that judges how well the solution works with other systems
A CIA-based security criterion must be measurable, such as setting a target for availability → Criterion: The exchange service is available 99.5% of the time each month
A criterion for interaction with users should be measurable, such as a time that a user can achieve → Criterion: 90% of users can upload a file in under 2 minutes without help
Criterion: The data exchange must be very secure → The criterion is vague and not measurable, so nobody can test whether it has been met. It should name a target, such as 'All logins require multi-factor authentication'.
Criterion: Personal data is collected from as many users as possible → This criterion does not judge how well personal data is protected, and collecting as much as possible goes against collecting only what is reasonably necessary. It should be a protection target such as 'Only the 4 required fields are collected and stored'.

Key Term

data exchange criteria
Measurable standards used to judge how well a data exchange solution protects data, keeps it secure (CIA) and interacts with other systems and users.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF encrypted = TRUE THEN dataProtected ← TRUE
Hint: Type the Boolean value that shows the personal data is encrypted, so the protection criterion is met.
2. IF failedLogins >= 3 THEN lockAccount()
Hint: Type the name of the procedure that locks the account to protect confidentiality.
3. IF hashSent = hashReceived THEN integrityOk ← TRUE
Hint: Type the variable holding the hash computed by the receiver, so the integrity criterion compares the two hashes.
4. IF format = "JSON" AND status = 200 THEN exchangeOk ← TRUE
Hint: Type the Boolean operator that requires both interaction conditions to be true.
5. uptime ← (minutesUp / totalMinutes) * 100
Hint: Type the number that turns the fraction into a percentage for a measurable availability criterion.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A target ← 99.9
B uptime ← 99.95
C met ← uptime ≤ target
D PRINT met
Line C — An availability criterion is met when uptime is at least the target. The test should use ≥ (uptime ≥ target), not ≤, which would pass a system with poor uptime.
Question 2
A encrypted ← TRUE
B login ← TRUE
C secure ← encrypted OR login
D PRINT secure
Line C — The confidentiality criterion needs BOTH encryption and a login. OR passes with only one control, so it should be encrypted AND login.
Question 3
A hashSent ← hash(fileGot)
B hashGot ← hash(fileGot)
C IF hashSent = hashGot THEN
D PRINT "Integrity met"
E END IF
Line A — The sender's hash must be made from the file that was sent (fileSent). Hashing the received file twice always matches, so it can never detect changes during transfer.
Question 4
A total ← 0
B FOR i FROM 1 TO 4
C total ← total + times[i]
D avg ← total / 5
E met ← avg ≤ 2
Line B — There are 5 response times, so the loop must run to 5. Stopping at 4 leaves one time out of the total, giving a wrong average for the measurable criterion.
Question 5
A formats ← ["CSV", "JSON"]
B fmt ← "JSON"
C IF fmt = formats THEN
D PRINT "Can exchange"
E END IF
Line C — To check interoperability, test whether the partner's format is in the list of supported formats using IN. Comparing one value with = to a whole array is wrong.

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