OCR GCSE - Computer Science - Paper 1 - System Security

Description

GCSE Computing Flashcards on OCR GCSE - Computer Science - Paper 1 - System Security, created by Malachy Moran-Tun on 12/04/2021.
Malachy Moran-Tun
Flashcards by Malachy Moran-Tun, updated more than 1 year ago
Malachy Moran-Tun
Created by Malachy Moran-Tun over 4 years ago
18
0

Resource summary

Question Answer
What is a Passive Attack? > Someone monitors data travelling on a network > Intercepts any sensitive information they find > Network-monitoring hardware and software (such as packet sniffers) are used > Hard to detect, best defence is encryption
What is an Active Attack? > Someone attacks a network with malware > Easier to detect than passive attacks > Firewall can be used as a defence
What is an Insider Attack? Someone within an organisation exploits their network access rights to steal information
What is a Brute Force Attack? > Type of active attack > Gain information by cracking passwords through trial and error > Automated software to produce hundreds, or thousands, of likely password combinations > Sometimes using real words with predictable numbers (e.g. jelly321) > Simple measures like locking accounts after a certain number of failed attempts and using strong passwords reduces the risk of these attacks
What is a (D)DoS Attack? > (Distributed) Denial-of-Service attack > Hacker tries to stop users from accessing a network / website > Floods the network with useless traffic > Makes the network extremely slow or inaccessible > Distributed: malware is used on unsuspecting computers which creates network traffic on many computers that are not owned by the hacker
What is Malware? > Malicious software > Designed to cause harm or damage to a computer > Usually to ask for money or monitor user actions to be sold
What are some Examples of Actions of Malware? > Deleting / Modifying files > Scareware - telling the user their computer is infected with loads of viruses (it's not) to scare them into clicking on fake links / paying for problems to be fixed > Ransomware - encrypts all files on the computer with a message demanding a large sum of money to be paid to receive the files back or they get deleted > Spyware - secretly monitors user actions (e.g. key presses for passwords), and sends the info to hackers > Rootkits - altering permissions giving other malware and hackers administrator-privileges > Opening backdoors - holes in security to be used for future attacks
What are Viruses? > Malware that attach themselves to certain files (usually executables and scripts) > Users spread them by copying infected files > Users activate them by opening the files, which runs malicious code
What are Worms? > Malware that are like viruses but self-replicate without the user copying files > Spread very quickly > Exploit weaknesses in network security
What are Trojan Horses? > Malware disguised as legitimate software > Do not replicate themselves > Users install them, without realising they have a hidden purpose > Often a fake game / piece of software
What is Social Engineering? Gaining sensitive information or illegal access to networks by influencing people, either by pretending you are a respectable company (usually microsoft idk why?), or threatening to hack / delete data
What is Phishing? > Criminals send emails or texts claiming to be from a well-known business > Often (but not always) containing a spoof version of the company's website > Request that the user update their personal information (e.g. password and bank details) > Instead of updating anything, the fake website sells the data to criminals, who can access their genuine account
What can Indicate Phishing Emails? > From a normal mail domain (e.g. @gmail.com) > Por grammerr nd spelilgn mistaykez > Pixelated or old logos > The fake website's URL is incorrect (e.g. if it's from microsoft, the URL is NOT microsoft.com, but something like microsoft-tech-support-help.com)
What is SQL Injection? > SQL - Structured Query Language, used for databases > Typed into a website's input box, but runs unintentional code > Easy way to get past a firewall
What is a Network Policy? Set of rules and procedures that an organisation follows to ensure the network is protected against attacks
What would a Good Network Policy Contain? > Regular tests for security weaknesses > Require strong passwords > Enforce user-access levels (limits people who can access sensitive information) > Anti-malware and firewall software > Encryption of sensitive data
What is Penetration Testing? > Organisations employ specialists to simulate potential attacks on networks > Used to identify possible weaknesses in network security > Results are reported back with no harm done to the actual network
What is Network Forensics? > Investigations undertaken to find the cause of (already undergoing) attacks on a network > Organisation captures data packets as they enter the network > Packets are analysed to discover how the network was attacked > Used to prevent future attacks
What are the Characteristics of a Strong Password? > Long > Combination of letters, numbers, and symbols > Changed regularly > Less / No dictionary words > An extremely strong password would be literal nonsense: a#qWy9m@9*$v
What are User-Access Levels? > Control which part of the network groups of users can access > E.g. business managers have a higher access level to access more sensitive data, like pay information, whereas employees would not have access > Helps prevent insider attacks and reduces the number of accounts which can be brute-forced
What is Anti-Malware? > Software designed to find and stop malware from damaging a network > Includes anti-virus programs and firewalls > Firewalls block unauthorised access by examining all data entering and exiting the network, blocking potential threats
Show full summary Hide full summary

Similar

Types and Components of Computer Systems
Jess Peason
Input Devices
Jess Peason
Output Devices
Jess Peason
Computing
Kwame Oteng-Adusei
Pack of playing cards answer
Karl Taylor
Code Challenge Flow Chart
Charlotte Hilton
Computing Hardware - CPU and Memory
ollietablet123
Computer Systems
lisawinkler10
Computer science quiz
Ryan Barton
Input, output and storage devices
Mr A Esch
GCSE Computing - 4 - Representation of data in computer systems
lilymate