CBSE Credential Curriculum and Topics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a key component of blockchain security?
- Smart contract programming
- Consensus mechanisms
- Hashing and cryptography (Correct answer)
- Blockchain scalability techniques
Correct answer: Hashing and cryptography
Hashing and cryptography are fundamental pillars of blockchain security, providing the core mechanisms for data integrity and secure transactions. Hashing ensures data integrity by creating unique, fixed-size outputs for data blocks, making any tampering immediately detectable. Cryptography, particularly public-key cryptography, secures transactions and user identities, protecting data confidentiality and authenticity within the decentralized network.
Question 2: What is a 51% attack?
- An attack where 51% of the nodes go offline simultaneously
- An attempt to overwhelm a blockchain network with spam transactions
- A situation where a malicious actor controls over 50% of a network’s computing power (Correct answer)
- A hacking method to steal private keys from blockchain users
Correct answer: A situation where a malicious actor controls over 50% of a network’s computing power
A 51% attack is a significant threat to proof-of-work blockchains, where a single entity or group gains control of more than half of the network's total mining hash rate. With this majority, the attacker can potentially prevent new transactions from being confirmed, reverse confirmed transactions, and effectively double-spend cryptocurrencies. This undermines the network's integrity and the immutability of its ledger.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT considered a blockchain attack vector?
- Sybil attack
- Phishing attack
- Key management attack
- Cloud computing latency (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cloud computing latency
A blockchain attack vector refers to a method or path that an attacker can use to gain unauthorized access or compromise a blockchain system. Sybil attacks, phishing attacks, and key management attacks are all known methods to exploit vulnerabilities within blockchain networks or related user practices. Cloud computing latency, while an operational concern affecting performance, is not inherently an attack vector used by malicious actors to compromise security.
Question 4: Why is risk assessment important in blockchain security?
- To optimize transaction speeds
- To identify potential vulnerabilities in blockchain systems (Correct answer)
- To ensure interoperability between blockchain networks
- To comply with international blockchain standards
Correct answer: To identify potential vulnerabilities in blockchain systems
Risk assessment is a crucial step in blockchain security because it systematically identifies, analyzes, and evaluates potential threats and vulnerabilities within a blockchain system. By understanding these risks, security experts can prioritize and implement appropriate countermeasures to protect against them. This proactive approach helps safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of blockchain data and assets.
Question 5: What is the purpose of conducting smart contract audits?
- To enhance the user interface of blockchain applications
- To detect and fix vulnerabilities in the smart contract code (Correct answer)
- To ensure compliance with blockchain development regulations
- To improve the performance of smart contracts
Correct answer: To detect and fix vulnerabilities in the smart contract code
Smart contracts are self-executing agreements whose code directly controls valuable assets on a blockchain. Auditing them is essential to meticulously review the code for bugs, logical flaws, and security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. A thorough audit helps prevent financial losses, ensures the contract behaves as intended, and builds trust in decentralized applications.
CBSE Credential Curriculum and Topics 1
Which of the following is a key component of blockchain security?