key terms

key terms

1. cyberattacks

   • hacking
     • unauthorised access to computer material
   • phishing
     • sending a fake email or message pretending to be from a bank or organisation, which tricks users into trying to log on to a fake website, stealing the login details
   • malware
     • Malicious software, designed to cause harm
   • ransomware
     • malware that encrypts users files and demands a ransom to decrypt them
   • botnet
     • a network of computers which contain malware allowing them to be controlled by a hacker
   • keylogger
     • malware that records every keypress and sends it to a hacker for analysis

2. cyber defences

   • Security software
     • often called antivirus software even though it deals with more than just viruses, scans computers for known malware and removes it. Must be kept up to date with the latest malware definitions.
   • White-hat hacking
     • hacking that is done with the authorisation of the company being hacked. The hacker produces a report of all the vulnerabilities they found, so that the company can fix them.
   • Grey-hat hacking
     • hacking done without the authorisation of the company, but with good intentions, often the company will be informed of how the hacker was able to gain access
   • Backups
     • keeping a copy of important data on a different system, so that it can be restored if the original is damaged

3. encryption

   • cipher
     • a method of encrypting text
   • Plaintext
     • the unencrypted data
   • ciphertext
     • the encrypted data
   • key
     • some information needed to encrypt/decrypt the data
   • crack
     • to read encrypted data without being given the key beforehand
   • brute force
     • crack a cipher by trying every possible key until successful