cybersecurity

cybersecurity

1. Cyber attacks

   • Phishing
     • Sending a fake email or message to trick the receiver into logging onto a fake website, but the hacker steals their login details
   • Hacking
     • Unauthorised access to computer material
   • 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.
   • Black-hat hacking
     • Hacking without consent of a company or personnel

2. Cyber defences

   • Security software
     • Often called antivirus software even though it deals with more than just viruses. It must be kept up to date with the latest malware definitions
   • White hat hacking
     • Hacking that is done with the authoristion of the company that has been hacked. The hacker produces a report of all the vunerabilties 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 in case any damage is done
   • 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.
     • Statistical attack
       • Crack a cipher by using statistics and estimates of the most likely values
     • Caesar Cipher
       • A simple cipher, where each letter is shifted a number of times in order to make the message only readable to the recipient.