Ch 5 - Networking and Security

Bandwidth

(or speed) the amount of data that can be transmitted over a given amount of time

risk assessment

A practical and accurate __________, where you identify and examine possible threats, is critical to being able to safeguard a system

uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

An ____________, which contains a battery, can keep a system on in the event of a power failure

countermeasure

Any step you take to ward off a threat

strong password

For most users, nothing is more important than having a ________ that is difficult to guess or crack by thieves

botnets

Massive networks of zombies that can be used by the hacker to spread malware, send spam, and conduct carefully orchestrated network attacks

wireless adapter

Most desktop computers require an internal or external ___________ to connect to a WAP

Power fluctuations

Power levels that rise and fall can produce unpredictable behavior in, or cause damage to, sensitive computer components

cybercrimes

Such crimes, from creating viruses to disrupting computer networks

power failure

The complete loss of power can result in the loss of unsaved work or the interruption of an important business function

network interface card (NIC)

The device at each node that performs translation and transmission

transaction processing system (TPS)

The information system that handles the processing and tracking of transactions

Network media

The means used to link parts of a computer network

Wi-Fi

The most popular standard for wireless networking is called 802.11

node

The network uses the media to carry data from one ________, or connection point, to another

virtual private network (VPN)

Use a __________ so that all of your activity will first pass through a VPN server before traveling to the Internet. This is often required by employers if you are connecting to workplace computers from home

scareware

With the exception of __________ (or ransomware), which tricks users into following a thief's orders, malware usually tries to remain hidden from users so that it can do its damage for as long as possible

Hacktivism

_________, which has a social or political agenda behind it, has become a popular reason to hack in recent years

router

a complex device that stores the routing information for networks. Determines the best route for packets

information system (IS)

a complex system for acquiring, storing, organizing, using, and sharing data and information

identity theft

a crime when hackers are looking for personal data that will allow them to assume the identity of another individual

local area network (LAN)

a data communication system consisting of multiple devices that are relatively near each other and are physically connected using cables or wireless media

bridge

a device that connects two LANs or two segments of the same LAN

social engineering

a form of hacking that focuses on deceiving individuals into giving away the information that the thief needs

tape library

a large storage unit for magnetic tape drives, to create backups and archives of data

gateway

a node on a network that serves as an entrance to another network

trojan horse (or trojan)

a program that disguises itself as an interesting, useful, or desirable program in order to gain access to your system

management information system (MIS)

a set of software tools that enables managers to gather, organize, and evaluate information

decision support system (DSS)

a special application that collects and reports certain types of data and can help managers make better decisions

redundant array of independent disks (RAID)

a storage system that links any number of disk drives (a disk array) so that they act as a single disk. This helps guard against data loss if a single disk breaks

expert system

a type of information system that performs analytical tasks traditionally done by a human

virus

a type of malware that is attached to a host file and has the ability to replicate, or copy, itself

worm

a type of malware that self-replicates and spreads through computers and networks

vulnerability

a weakness that has not been protected against threats

rogue hotspot

a wireless access point that users accidentally connect to

distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack

allows hackers to shut down or block access to websites and other network resources by overwhelming them with requests

Network

allows users to communicate and share information between computers and various devices

data warehouse

an enormous digital warehouse that contains data gathered from multiple databases

hacker

an individual who uses a computer and/or network to commit a variety of crimes

surge protector

an inexpensive product that guards connected equipment against large power spikes or surges

intranet

an internal version of the Internet some organizations offer which contains only the company's private information

threat

anything that can cause harm

extranet

can be used to share some of a company's intranet resources with people outside the organization

fault-tolerant

computers that are able to continue their operation even when problems are present

Coaxial cable

consists of a single copper wire that is surrounded by insulation and a wire mesh shield, all inside a plastic sheath

fiber-optic cable

consists of a thin strand of glass that transmits pulsating beams of light rather than electric current

spyware

designed to report activity on your computer to another party

pretexting

gaining someone's trust by pretending you are someone else

authorization

gives individuals a certain level of access based on who they are

redundant computers

have multiple hardware systems performing the same task at the same time to protect against the failure of one system

zombies

infected computers that are under the external control of a hacker

cyberterrorism

is an attack that seeks to create large-scale chaos and damage to a country's infrastructure

phishing

luring individuals into entering personal information into a website controlled by the hacker

wireless access point (WAP)

needed to create a wireless LAN

Twisted-pair cable

normally consists of four pairs of wires that are twisted around each other

packets

pieces of a message broken down into small units by the sending device and reassembled by the receiving device

hub

provides multiple ports for connecting nodes

Protocols

rules of communication that ensure packets are sent, received, and interpreted properly, and that data integrity, or accuracy, is guaranteed (two parts: header and payload)

malware

several types of malicious computer programs that are created to harm computer systems and their users

switch

similar to a hub, but it is aware of the exact address or identity of all the nodes attached to it

mission-critical

some information systems that must run without failure or with nearly instant recovery from failure

interoperability

the ability of each organization's information system to work with the other, sharing both data and services

scalability

the capacity to provide increasing amounts of computing power, storage, and/or software

wide area network (WAN)

the connection of two or more central computers or LANs, generally across a wide geographical area

data mining

the discovery of new patterns or relationships between data which large databases that support information systems can provide an ideal environment for

topology

the logical layout of the cables and devices that connect the nodes of the network (i.e. bus, star, ring, mesh)

Attenuation

the loss of intensity and clarity of the data signal being transmitted that is often affected by distance

ethernet

the most widely-used standard for local area networks

data validation

the process of safeguarding against erroneous or duplicate data by checking what is entered and placing restrictions on how the data is entered

authentication

the requirement that an individual confirm his or her identity

Wireless networks

use radio signals that travel through the air to transmit data

repeater

used to prevent attenuation when packets are traveling long distances

office automation system

uses computers and/or networks to perform various office-related operations, such as word processing, accounting, document management, or communications