Protecting data in transit

Name:

Date:

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which of these is an example of data in transit?

A A customer's card details being sent from their browser to an online shop

B A customer database saved on the shop's server hard drive

2. What is the main way to protect data in transit?

A Encrypt it so intercepted data cannot be read

B Store it on a USB drive in a locked cupboard

3. A student uses free café Wi-Fi with no password. What is the main risk to their data in transit?

A The café's printer could delete it

B Someone on the same network could intercept it

4. Which web address protects data in transit?

A http://bank.example.com

B https://bank.example.com

5. An attacker intercepts data that was sent over an encrypted connection. What do they see?

A Scrambled ciphertext that cannot be read without the key

B The original readable data, because it was intercepted

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1https://bank.com.au		Aemail -> network -> receiver
2VPN		Bencrypt(data) -> send -> decrypt(data)
3Data in transit is data moving across a network, such as an email being sent or a web page being loaded		CA virtual private network that encrypts all data in transit between a device and a network, even on public Wi-Fi
4Encrypting data in transit means intercepted data cannot be read without the key		DEncrypting stored files protects data at rest, not data in transit. Data moving over a network needs an encrypted connection such as HTTPS or a VPN.
5Sending a password on cafe Wi-Fi using http://		EA web address that uses an encrypted connection, so data in transit between browser and server cannot be read if intercepted
6Encrypt files on a USB drive to protect data in transit across the internet		Fhttp:// is not encrypted, so anyone intercepting traffic on the public network can read the password. Use https:// or a VPN.

Definitions

data in transit

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

url = "_____://shop.example.com/login"

IF network = "public" THEN connect(___) END IF

message = "Order 123" encrypted = encrypt(message, key) send(_________)

__ padlock = FALSE THEN warnUser() END IF

dataInTransit = encrypted attackerCanRead = _____

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A state = in_transit

B IF state = at_rest THEN

C ENCRYPT data

D END IF

Question 2

A data = email_message

B connection = HTTP

C SEND data USING connection

Question 3

A user = on_public_wifi

B START VPN

C ENCRYPT traffic

D SEND data around VPN tunnel

Question 4

A IF wifi = public THEN

B CONNECT VPN

C ENCRYPT data AFTER SEND

D END IF

Question 5

A url = input

B IF url STARTS WITH https THEN

C SEND password AS PLAIN TEXT

D ELSE

E WARN user

Answer Key

Protecting data in transit

Section A: Quick Questions

A — A customer's card details being sent from their browser to an online shop

A — Encrypt it so intercepted data cannot be read

B — Someone on the same network could intercept it

B — https://bank.example.com

A — Scrambled ciphertext that cannot be read without the key

Section B: Match the Pairs

https://bank.com.au → A web address that uses an encrypted connection, so data in transit between browser and server cannot be read if intercepted

VPN → A virtual private network that encrypts all data in transit between a device and a network, even on public Wi-Fi

Data in transit is data moving across a network, such as an email being sent or a web page being loaded → email -> network -> receiver

Encrypting data in transit means intercepted data cannot be read without the key → encrypt(data) -> send -> decrypt(data)

Sending a password on cafe Wi-Fi using http:// → http:// is not encrypted, so anyone intercepting traffic on the public network can read the password. Use https:// or a VPN.

Encrypt files on a USB drive to protect data in transit across the internet → Encrypting stored files protects data at rest, not data in transit. Data moving over a network needs an encrypted connection such as HTTPS or a VPN.

Section C: Definitions

data in transit — Data moving across a network, such as email or web traffic. It is protected by encrypting it (e.g. HTTPS or a VPN) so intercepted data cannot be read.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

url = "https://shop.example.com/login"

IF network = "public" THEN
    connect(VPN)
END IF

message = "Order 123"
encrypted = encrypt(message, key)
send(encrypted)

IF padlock = FALSE THEN
    warnUser()
END IF

dataInTransit = encrypted
attackerCanRead = FALSE

Section E: Spot the Error

B — Data moving across a network is in transit, not at rest. The condition should be state = in_transit so the encryption step applies to moving data.

B — HTTP sends data unencrypted, so anyone intercepting it could read it. The connection should be HTTPS, which encrypts data in transit.

D — Data only gets VPN protection if it is sent through the encrypted tunnel. Sending it around the tunnel leaves it readable. It should say 'through'.

C — Data must be encrypted before it leaves the device. If it is encrypted after sending, it travels across the network readable. It should be BEFORE SEND.

C — When the connection is HTTPS, the password should be sent encrypted. Sending it as plain text would let an interceptor read it. It should be SEND password ENCRYPTED.