CVIDemo Lab

Module 3 · Week 9 · Interactive Scenario · ~34 min

The Trust Authority

Can Ivy trust this connection?

Ivy protected the incident report last week. Now she has to send it to the real Vault Exchange service — and the service hands her a certificate. Four stations: read the badge, follow the chain, investigate the warning, make the decision. No timers, no penalties, nothing graded.

The Trust Authority entrance hall, where Ivy begins checking the destination before sending the protected report
Ivy protected the report. Now she has to reach the right destination.

The Trust Authority

Opening brief — the destination question

Ivy protected the report. Now: is this the destination she meant to reach?

Ivy, Security Analyst — Vault Access Level 3 — briefing the room
IvySecurity Analyst — Vault Access Level 3 — briefing the room

Ivy says: Last week I locked the report and signed it. Good. Today I have to actually send it — and the moment I connect, the other side shows me a certificate.

Ivy says: Think of a certificate like an ID badge held up at a door. Before I hand over anything, I want to read the badge properly: whose name is on it, who issued it, and whether it is still in date.

Ivy says: Four stations. Read the badge, follow the chain, investigate the warning, then decide. Nothing is timed, nothing is graded, and you can reset any station.

Mission brief

Situation

Ivy encrypted and signed the incident report last week. This morning she opens a connection to the Vault Exchange service to send it, and the service immediately hands her a certificate instead of just accepting the file.

Your mission

Work out which new question Week 9 answers, and which question it does not.

Evidence to inspect

  • Week 8's question: “Can someone read or change this report?” — that is about the data.
  • Week 9's question: “Am I actually talking to the service I meant to reach?” — that is about the destination.
  • The scenario clock shown on every station: 14 March 2026, 09:00 UTC.

Decision to make

Why does protecting the report not tell Ivy whether it is safe to send?

What we are looking for

Encryption and signatures protect the file. They say nothing about who is on the other end of the connection. Checking the destination is a separate question, and the certificate is the evidence used to answer it.

Mission complete when

You can say in one sentence what the certificate is being used to check, and you are ready to read one.

The Trust Authority entrance hall, where Ivy begins checking the destination before sending the protected report
Ivy protected the report. Now she has to reach the right destination.

Read the brief, then continue when the room is ready.