Security

What are viruses?

A computer program hidden in another program that reproduces itself and causes damage.

What are denial of service attacks?

A hacker stops users accessing part of a network or site by flooding the network with traffic.

What is a worm?

A program like a virus but is self-replicating.

What are brute force attacks?

Use automated software to produce hundreds of likely password combinations to try and get into an account.

What is social engineering?

When people are made to give away personal information using persuasion and usually over a telephone.

What is phishing?

Emails or texts claiming to be from big companies to get sensitive information.

What is data interception?

Packet sniffer software is used to intercept data travelling on a network.

What are rootkits?

Alter permissions giving hackers administrator levels of access.

What are backdoors?

An access channel is opened to allow an outsider to bypass security checks.

What is hacking?

An attempt to get around computer security systems which is usually illegal.

What are firewalls?

Block unauthorised access by examining all data entering and leaving a network.

What are network forensics?

Investigations to find out what caused an attack. Use a system of capturing data packets that are then analysed.

What is malware?

Malicious software that is installed on someone's device without their consent. It includes viruses, worms, trojanhorse, ransomware, spyware, rootlets and backdoors.

What is a trojanhorse?

Malware that is disguised as legitimate software.

What is penetration testing?

Organisations simulate potential attacks on their network.

What is spyware?

Secretly monitors users actions e.g. keyboard types

What is ransomware

Software that interferes with the operation of computer such as encrypting files until a certain sum of money is paid.

What is SQL?

Structured query language is typed into a database to retrieve data.