Ch 6. Threats and Vulnerabilities

Question 1

Open-Source Intelligence

Answer 1

a method of garnering data using public sources, such as social media sites and news outlets

Question 2

Script Kiddie

Answer 2

an attacker with little expertise or sophistication, they use existing scripts to launch attacks

Question 3

Hacktivist

Answer 3

an attacker who launches attacks as part of an activist movement or to further a cause

Question 4

Insider

Answer 4

an attacker who launches attacks from within an organization, typically as an employee

Question 5

APT

Answer 5

Advanced Persistent Threat; a group that has both the capability and intent to launch sophisticated and targeted attacks

Question 6

Resource Exhaustion

Answer 6

result of DDoS attack; overloads a computer’s resources (such as processor/memory), resulting in service interruption

Question 7

DDoS

Answer 7

(Distributed) Denial of Service; an attack on a system launched from multiple sources intended to make a computer’s resources or services unavailable to users

Question 8

Malware

Answer 8

malicious software such as viruses, worms, ransomware, etc

Question 9

Virus

Answer 9

malicious code that attaches itself to a host application, the app must be executed to run

Question 10

Worm

Answer 10

self-replicating malware that travels through a network, worms do not need user interaction to execute

Question 11

Logic Bomb

Answer 11

a type of malware that executes in response to an event. Might be specific in date or time, or a user action

Question 12

Backdoor

Answer 12

an alternate method of accessing a system. Malware often adds a backdoor into a system after it infects it

Question 13

Trojan

Answer 13

malware that looks useful but is malicious

Question 14

RAT

Answer 14

Remote Access Trojan; malware that allows an attacker to take control of a system from a remote location

Question 15

Ransomware

Answer 15

a type of malware used to extort money from individuals and organizations. Typically encrypts the user’s data and demands a ransom before decrypting the data

Question 16

Crypto-Malware

Answer 16

a type of malware that encrypts a user’s data

Question 17

Keylogger

Answer 17

software or hardware use to capture a user’s keystrokes. Keystrokes are stored in a file and can be manually retrieved or automatically sent to an attacker

Question 18

Spyware

Answer 18

software installed on a user’s systems without their awareness or consent. Its purpose is often to monitor the user’s computer and the user’s activity

Question 19

Adware

Answer 19

software on ads that tracks user activity

Question 20

Rootkit

Answer 20

a type of malware that has system-level access to a comp. Rootkits are often able to hide themselves from users and antivirus software

Question 21

Social Engineering

Answer 21

the practice of using social tactics to gain information

Question 22

Shoulder Surfing

Answer 22

the practice of looking over someone’s shoulder to obtain info from their comp screen

Question 23

Screen Filter

Answer 23

a physical security device used to reduce visibility of a comp screen. Screen filters help prevent shoulder surfing

Question 24

Hoax

Answer 24

a message, often circulated through email, that tells of impending doom from a virus or other security threat that simply doesn’t exist

Question 25

Tailgaiting

Answer 25

a social engineering attack where one person follows behind another person without using credentials

Question 26

Mantrap

Answer 26

a physical security mechanism designed to control access to a secure area, prevents tailgating

Question 27

Dumpster Diving

Answer 27

the practice of searching through trash looking to gain information from discarded documents

Question 28

Watering Hole Attack

Answer 28

an attack that infects web sites that a group is likely to trust and visit

Question 29

Spam

Answer 29

unwanted or unsolicited email. Attackers often launch attacks using spam

Question 30

Phishing

Answer 30

the practice of sending email to users with the purpose of tricking them into revealing personal information or clicking on a link

Question 31

Spear Phishing

Answer 31

a targeted form of phishing. Spear phishing attacks attempt to target specific groups of users, such as those within a specific organization, or even a single user

Question 32

Whaling

Answer 32

a form of spear phishing that attempts to target high-level executives

Question 33

Privilege Escalation

Answer 33

the process of gaining elevated rights and permissions. Malware typically uses a variety of techniques to gain elevated privileges

Question 34

Vishing

Answer 34

use of VoIP for phishing

Question 35

DEP

Answer 35

Data Execution Prevention; a security feature that prevents code from executing in memory regions marked as nonexecutable, helps prevent malware

Question 36

Spam Filter

Answer 36

method of blocking unwanted email

Question 37

Zero-Day Vulnerability

Answer 37

a vulnerability or bug that is unknown to trusted sources but can be exploited by attacked