Exam CISSP topic 1 question 360 discussion

A and B both provide integrity: "Integrity: Guaranteeing message integrity is another important function of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)." https://www.omnisecu.com/security/public-key-infrastructure/what-is-public-key-infrastructure-pki.php#:~:text=Integrity%3A%20Guaranteeing%20message%20integrity%20is,be%20immediately%20detected%20and%20prevented. "blockchain can improve data security and integrity by creating an environment in which everybody can add and verify data. " https://zaisan.io/blockchain-data-security-integrity/ But the question asks " transactions to intended recipients", which sounds much more like PKI than blockchain since blockchain isn't intended for a recipient.

We are thinking like a CISO here. Current industry consensus (rightly or wrongly) is PKI. It is possible to reverse, undo or discard events from the blockchain. Can only be accomplished if a majority (i.e. >50%) of the systems supporting/hosting the public Ledger agreed to make the rollback change. See Official Study Guide 9th edition - page 295-296 & 380-381.

Transaction

PKI is used to ensure secure and encrypted communication, as well as to verify the identities of parties involved in the communication. While it ensures confidentiality and can support integrity through digital signatures, it is not specifically focused on ensuring the integrity of transactions in the same way that blockchain technology does. Blockchain technology is designed to ensure the integrity and security of transactions. Each transaction is recorded in a block, and each block is linked to the previous one, creating a chain of blocks. Once a transaction is added to the blockchain, it is nearly impossible to alter without affecting all subsequent blocks, which makes the blockchain highly resistant to tampering and ensures that transactions remain intact and unaltered for intended recipients.

There's an intended receiver, so "C".

B. Blockchain technology Blockchain technology is designed to ensure the integrity of transactions through a decentralized and distributed ledger. Each transaction is recorded in a block and these blocks are linked in a chain. The decentralized nature of blockchain, combined with cryptographic techniques, makes it difficult to alter or tamper with transaction data once it has been added to the blockchain. This ensures the integrity of transactions with the intended recipients. Public key infrastructure (PKI) focuses more on authentication and encryption, while pre-shared key (PSK) and trust network are not specifically designed to ensure transaction integrity in the same way as blockchain.

B. Blockchain technology blockchain technology is specifically designed to ensure the integrity of transactions in a way that is resistant to tampering or unauthorized changes. It achieves this by creating a distributed and immutable ledger of transactions, making it an excellent choice for scenarios where transaction integrity is a critical requirement.

Official Student Guide 6th ed. pg. 30 - "In blockchain, each “block” within the “chain”’ contains a list of chronological transactions, which is then cryptographically attached to the transaction record. Consequently, all participants interested in a particular transaction can verify the integrity of each transaction. Support for authenticity and non-repudiation can also be part of the implementation as well. Applications of this technology in finance (cryptocurrency), healthcare (pharmacology) and criminal justice (chain of custody) are only a few of the use cases that could take advantage of an immutable transaction record."

Official Study Guide 9th edition - page 295 The blockchain is, in its simplest description, a distributed and immutable public ledger. This means that it can store transaction records in a way that distributes those records among many different systems located around the world and do so in manner that prevents anyone from tampering with those records. The blockchain creates a data store that nobody can tamper with or destroy.

A PKI infrastructure issues and manages digital, cryptographically secure credentials. This enables electronic transactions to take place by proving the integrity of the transaction and increasing trust. PKI is a core component of data confidentiality, information integrity, authentication and data access control. https://utimaco.com/products/technologies/public-key-infrastructure/public-key-infrastructure-pki

I feel like the keyword in this question is "transactions" A Blockchain is a decentralized system that uses peer-to-peer network to enforce transactional integrity as well as security and gets rid of a third party such as banks for mediation.

They say "integrity of transactions" that sounds like Blockchain for me. But again, CISSP don't go with buzzwords.

The aim of PKI is to provide confidentiality, integrity, access control, authentication, and most importantly, non-repudiation. https://www.packt.com/public-key-infrastructure-pki-and-other-concepts-cryptography-cissp-exam/

In Blockchain, stored data is immutable and permanent, it cannot be modified or deleted, which makes the technology meet the main data integrity requirements, according to the FDA's ALCOA concept