Cyber security Flashcards
(30 cards)
what is data?
data is raw facts and figures, information is created when that data has been processed and becomes meaningful
data collected by the media
personal information, content they provide, user activity, data of others
risk of compromised data
human error arguably creates the largest risk of the data being compromised
social engineering
social engineering is a set of method used by cybercriminals to deceive individuals into handing over information that they can use for fraudulent purposes
phishing
A phishing attack is an attack in which the victim receives an email disguised to look as if it has come from a reputable source, in order to trick them into giving up valuable data. The email usually provides a link to another website where the information can be inputted.
blagging
the act of inventing a specific scenario to try and engage with the victim, which in turns gives the attacker money or information e.g. emails
shouldering
shouldering is when you are trying to get someone’s
Password from their ATM by standing behind them and
Looking over their shoulder for their personal information
scam email warning
look for spelling errors
look for suspicious links
see if it was trying to get your bank details.
hacking
Hacking in the context of cyber security is:
Gaining unauthorized access to or control of a computer system, people want to hack to steal personal data.
malware
Malware (malicious software) is software
that is designed to gain access to your
computer with malicious intent.
malware e.g.
Disabling hardware
● Data theft
● Forced advertising
● Sending email spam
● Extorting money
Categories of malware
viruses
worms
trojan
adware
ransomware
spyware
ransomware
This is a form of virus, as it is self-replicating. Specifically, ransomware locks a computer, encrypts files, and therefore prevents the user from being able to access the data. The attacker will demand that a ransom be paid before they decrypt the files and unlock the computer.
virus
virus is a malicious form of self-replicating computer programs. Once on a computer or network, a virus will replicate itself by maliciously modifying other computer programs and inserting code. For a virus to infect a system, it needs to be initiated/executed by a user.
catching a virus
● Download an email attachment
● Click a confirmation button on a pop-up
without reading it
● Download files such as movies or games
from illegal websites of peer-to-peer
file-sharing platforms
worms
Worms replicate themselves but do not
attach themselves to files as a virus does.
Instead, worms spread through the
network and use the system’s resources.
Most worms cause problems by using up
network bandwidth and therefore
slowing down the network significantly.
ransomware
This is a form of virus, as it is selfreplicating.
Specifically, ransomware locks a
computer, encrypts files, and therefore
prevents the user from being able to
access the data.
The attacker will demand that a ransom
be paid before they decrypt the files and
unlock the computer.
WannaCry ransomware attack May 2017
This attack is estimated to have affected
over 200,000 computers across 150
countries.
It exploited a known security flaw with
Microsoft Windows.
All versions of Windows that hadn’t
applied the update released in April 2017
were at risk. This included older versions
of Windows that were no longer getting
updates
trojans
A trojan is a piece of software that
appears to perform a useful function
(such as a game) but unbeknown to the
user it also performs malicious actions.
For example, it might open a ‘back door’
to give an attacker remote access to your
computer.
The name derives from the story of the
Trojan Horse.
spyware
Spyware is unwanted software that
monitors and gathers information on a
person and how they use their computer.
This can include monitoring your internet
usage to send you harmless but annoying
adverts.
More sinister spyware will include
keyloggers that record every keystroke
made by a user.
adware
Adware can be a worm, virus, or Trojan. It
infects a computer and causes it to
download or display malicious adverts or
pop-ups when the victim is online.
If you are online and see a large number
of adverts, or you are receiving pop-ups
when you’re offline, then your computer
might have been infected by malware.
internet bots
Bots are automated programs that perform
tasks repeatedly.
Bots are a crucial part of the internet’s
infrastructure and perform useful tasks such
as:
● Finding new websites for search engines
to index
● Providing customer service online
(chatbots)
● Monitoring the prices of items to find the
best deal (shopbots)
bots that go bad
Many of the bots circulating the web
have malicious intent.
Bots can be used to create social media
accounts and to follow certain users to
increase people’s perception of their
influence.
Bots can also be used to scour the web to
look for and report back on vulnerabilities
of internet-connected devices
botnet
A botnet is a large collection of malware infected devices (zombies).
An attacker (‘bot herder’) chooses when
to ‘wake’ the zombies to perform an
attack.
This might be to send multiple requests
to a single server
