UPSC Science and Technology – Chapter 17: Cyber Security Technology, Data Protection and Digital Trust (24 MCQs)

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UPSC Science and Technology – Chapter 17: Cyber Security Technology, Data Protection and Digital Trust (24 MCQs) – 24 questions, subject: Science & Technology. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

In the CIA triad of cyber security, "A" stands for:

Correct Answer: A [availability]

Explanation:

The CIA triad is confidentiality, integrity and availability; availability means systems and data work when they are needed.

2.  

Malware that spreads across networks by itself, without user action, is a:

Correct Answer: C [worm]

Explanation:

A worm copies itself across networks on its own, without needing a host file or any user action.

3.  

Malware that encrypts a victim's data and demands payment is called:

Correct Answer: D [ransomware]

Explanation:

Ransomware encrypts the victim's data and demands a ransom in exchange for the decryption key.

4.  

Fraud carried out through SMS messages is known as:

Correct Answer: A [smishing]

Explanation:

Smishing (SMS plus phishing) uses text messages to trick people into revealing passwords or bank details.

5.  

A hash function is mainly used to check:

Correct Answer: C [integrity of data]

Explanation:

Any change in data changes its fixed-length hash, so comparing hashes reveals whether data have been altered.

6.  

A digital signature is created by encrypting the document's hash with the sender's:

Correct Answer: B [private key]

Explanation:

The sender encrypts the document's hash with the private key; anyone can then verify it with the matching public key.

7.  

Under the IT Act, 2000, certifying authorities that issue Digital Signature Certificates are licensed by the:

Correct Answer: D [Controller of Certifying Authorities]

Explanation:

Under the IT Act, 2000, the Controller of Certifying Authorities licenses and regulates the authorities that issue Digital Signature Certificates.

8.  

Which of the following is "something you have" in authentication?

Correct Answer: B [a one-time password sent to your phone]

Explanation:

An OTP arrives on a phone the user physically possesses, so it is a 'something you have' factor.

9.  

CERT-In works under the:

Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology]

Explanation:

CERT-In, the national cyber-incident response agency under Section 70B of the IT Act, functions under MeitY.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. NCIIPC protects India's critical information infrastructure.
2. CERT-In directions of 2022 require cyber incidents to be reported within six hours.
3. India is a party to the Budapest Convention on cyber crime.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

NCIIPC protects critical information infrastructure and CERT-In's 2022 directions set six-hour reporting; India has not joined the Budapest Convention.

11.  

Assertion (A): A stolen biometric is harder to recover from than a stolen password.

Reason (R): Body features such as fingerprints cannot be changed like a password.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Both are true, and because body features cannot be reset like a password, a stolen biometric is harder to recover from.

12.  

The right to privacy was declared a fundamental right in:

Correct Answer: D [Justice K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India]

Explanation:

2017.

13.  

Under the DPDP Act, 2023, the organisation that decides why and how personal data are processed is the:

Correct Answer: B [data fiduciary]

Explanation:

Under the DPDP Act, the data fiduciary is the entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data.

14.  

The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) functions under the:

Correct Answer: D [National Technical Research Organisation]

Explanation:

NCIIPC, set up in 2014 under Section 70A of the IT Act, functions under the National Technical Research Organisation.

15.  

The Cyber Swachhta Kendra, set up in 2017, mainly:

Correct Answer: D [helps clean botnet infections and analyse malware]

Explanation:

The Cyber Swachhta Kendra, run by CERT-In, is the botnet-cleaning and malware-analysis centre.

16.  

The first post-quantum cryptography standards were released in 2024 by:

Correct Answer: C [NIST]

Explanation:

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology released its first three finalised post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. National Cyber Security Policy
2. Digital Personal Data Protection Act
3. Puttaswamy judgment on privacy
4. Information Technology Act

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [4-1-3-2]

Explanation:

2000, 2013, 2017, 2023.

18.  

Section 66A of the IT Act was struck down in:

Correct Answer: D [Shreya Singhal (2015)]

Explanation:

In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the IT Act as unconstitutional.

19.  

An attack that floods a server with traffic from many devices is a:

Correct Answer: A [DDoS attack]

Explanation:

A distributed denial-of-service attack floods a server with traffic from many devices, often a botnet, until it fails.

20.  

The national cyber-crime helpline number in India is:

Correct Answer: B [1930]

Explanation:

1930 is the national cyber-crime helpline, run with the cybercrime.gov.in portal, for reporting online financial fraud quickly.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2020

In India, the term "Public Key Infrastructure" is used in the context of

Correct Answer: A [Digital security infrastructure]

Explanation:

PKI is the system of certifying authorities, digital certificates and keys that makes digital transactions secure and trustworthy.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2019

Consider the following statements: A digital signature is 1. an electronic record that identifies the certifying authority issuing it 2. used to serve as a proof of identity of an individual to access information or server on Internet. 3. an electronic method of signing an electronic document and ensuring that the original content is unchanged.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: C [3 only]

Explanation:

Only statement 3 describes a digital signature: it signs an electronic document and shows that its content is unchanged.

23.  
UPSC Prelims 2019

Which one of the following has adopted a law on data protection and privacy for its citizens known as 'General Data Protection Regulation' in April 2016 and started implementation of it from 25th May, 2018?

Correct Answer: C [The European Union]

Explanation:

The European Union adopted the GDPR in April 2016, and it became applicable across member states from 25 May 2018.

24.  
UPSC Prelims 2014

In addition to fingerprint scanning, which of the following can be used in the biometric identification of a person?

1. Iris scanning
2. Retinal scanning
3. Voice recognition

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: D [1, 2 and 3]

Explanation:

Iris scanning, retinal scanning and voice recognition are all established biometric methods besides fingerprints.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U17 · Science and Technology (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-science-technology

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