1.4 Network Security Flashcards
What is malware
Malicious software thats designed to hack a system
What is a virus and describe it
Programs embedded within other files. They replicate and become part of other programs. They often cause damage by deleting or modifying data.
An example of a virus and describe it
May 2000 - ILOVEYOU virus shut down email servers of several major corporations eg = Microsoft & ford. After around 10 days around 45 million users had been affected and approximately $10 billion had been caused in damages
What’s a worm and describe it
Programs similar to viruses except they’re not hidden within other files. They often spread through emails
An example of a worm and describe it
2004 - Mydoom caused more than $38 billion worth of damage. It was a mass mailing computer worm that stole email addresses from infected computers and sent itself to those addresses.
What’s a Trojan and describe it
Programs that pretend to be legitimate but are actually malware. Often they’re disguised as email attachments. They cant be spread by themselves instead they deceive a user into installing the program
Example of a Trojan and describe it
Emotet malware infected more than 1.6 million computers and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage worldwide. It infects computers through spam emails containing hyperlinks or malicious attachments. Emails appeared to be from legitimate sources or the persons contact list
What should a good password include
- A mix of upper and lower case letters
- numbers
- special characters
- a reasonable length (between 8 and 12 characters)
What’s penetration testing (pen)
- Tests performed under a controlled environment by a qualified person.
- the person checks for current vulnerabilities and explores potential ones to expose weaknesses in the system so they cant be maliciously exploited
What’s anti-malware software
Software that aims to prevent malware from entering the system
What’s a firewall
Software that acts as a barrier between a potential attack and the computer system
What are user access levels
- They allow administrators to set up a hierarchy of users
- lower level users have access to limited information and settings
- higher level users have access to the most sensitive data on the system
What is two-factor authentication
A randomised code that also needs to be entered when trying to log in to a software
What’s encryption
Data’s scrambles before transmission so only authorised users/users with he key can decrypt it. Users need the key to decrypt the coded file
How does Caesar cipher work
It encrypts messages through movement of each letter a certain number of places to the left in the alphabet
What are biometrics
Any human characteristic (eg = retina scan, fingerprints, voice or face recognition)
What are other methods of physical security
Door locks, window locks or bars, intruder alarms, cctv systems, laptop locks, security guards
What’s social engineering
An online fraud technique designed to give away personal info. It’s normally in the form of an email that tries to deceive a user into clicking a link that looks like a real website
Example of social engineering
Phishing
How to prevent social engineering
User awareness education - dont click on unknown links
What’s a brute force attack
A trial and error method used to decode a password by trying all the possible combinations of characters until the right one is found
How to prevent a brute force attack
Strong passwords
Set number of password attempts
What’s a denial of service (DoS) attack
Flooding a server with requests over and over again until it’s unavailable or overloaded
How to prevent a DoS attack
Firewall
What is data interception and theft
- Data is intercepted as it travels over a WAN as it uses telecommunication infrastructure
- data theft - data is intercepted physically
What is an example of data theft
Portable hard drives and other hardware can be stolen
How to prevent data interception
Encryption
How to prevent data theft
Biometrics, physical looks
What is an SQL injection
A code injection technique used to attack data driven applications
OR
It’s code written in an input on a data field
How to prevent an SQL injection
Validation access levels, penetration testing
