Summary
Cyber security is essential to protect valuable data from accidental or malicious damage. Various threats exist on the internet, and measures can be taken to mitigate these risks.
- Malicious Actions — Deliberate unauthorized actions intended to cause damage by viewing, deleting, copying, or corrupting data. Example: Hacking into a system to steal sensitive information.
- Accidental Damage — Unintended corruption, deletion, or damage to data usually caused by human error. Example: Accidentally deleting important files.
- Data Corruption — Errors in computer data that occur during writing, reading, storage, transmission, or processing, creating unintended changes to the original data. Example: A file becoming unreadable due to a power outage during saving.
- Brute Force Attacks — Attempts to gain access by trying all possible combinations of passwords. Example: Using software to guess a password by trying every possible combination.
- DDOS Attacks — Denial of service attacks that flood a network with traffic to prevent legitimate access. Example: Overloading a website with requests to make it unavailable.
- Phishing — Attempt to gain personal information by impersonating a trustworthy entity. Example: Receiving an email that looks like it's from your bank asking for your password.
- Pharming — Redirecting users to fake websites without their knowledge. Example: Typing a legitimate URL but being taken to a fraudulent site.
- Firewall — Security system that prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network. Example: A software firewall blocking suspicious incoming traffic.
- SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) — Protocol for encrypting information over the internet. Example: Seeing HTTPS in the browser address bar indicating a secure connection.
Exam Tips
Key Definitions to Remember
- Malicious Actions
- Accidental Damage
- Data Corruption
- Brute Force Attacks
- DDOS Attacks
- Phishing
- Pharming
- Firewall
- SSL
Common Confusions
- Confusing phishing with pharming
- Thinking all malware is the same
Typical Exam Questions
- What is a brute force attack? An attempt to gain access by trying all possible password combinations.
- How does a firewall protect a network? By preventing unauthorized access to or from a private network.
- What is the purpose of SSL? To encrypt data sent over the internet, ensuring secure communication.
What Examiners Usually Test
- Understanding of different types of cyber threats
- Knowledge of preventive measures against cyber attacks
- Ability to identify secure connections and protocols