1.4 New Flashcards
Malware
term for any software that has been created with malicious intent to cause harm to a computer system
examples of issues caused by malware
-files being deleted, corrupted or encrypted
-internet connection becoming slow or unusable
-computer crashing or shutting down
what are the types of malware
-virus
-worms
-trojan
-spyware
-ransomware
virus
a program which can replicate itself on a user’s computer. It contains code that will cause unwanted and unexpected events to occur
examples of what a virus can do
-corrupt files
-delete data
-prevent applications from running correctly
worms
similar to viruses except they will spread to other drives and computers on the network
how can worms infect other computers
-infected websites
-instant message services
-email
-network connection
trojan
disguise themselves as legitimate software but contain malicious code in the background
spyware
software which will allow a person to spy on the user’s activities on their devices
examples of what spyware can do
-record your screen
-log your keystrokes to gain access to passwords and more
how does one download spyware
embedded into other software like games or programs that have been downloaded from illegitimate sources
ransomware
-malware that locks your computer or device and encrypts your documents and other important files
-a demand in made for money to receive the password that will allow the user to the files
-no guarantee paying ransom will result in user getting data back
social engineering
exploiting weaknesses in a computer system by targeting the people that use or have access to them
examples of social engineering
-fraudulent phone calls
-phishing
-pretexting
phishing
-sending fraudulent emails to a large number of email addresses claiming to be from a reputable company to try gain access to details, often by coaxing the user to click on a login button
examples of human errors in computer systems
-not locking doors to computer/server rooms
-not logging their device when they are not using it
-sharing passwords
-not encrypting data
-not keeping operating systems or anti-malware software up to date
brute force attack
attacker repeatedly tries multiple combinations of a user’s password to try and gain unauthorised access to their accounts or devices
dictionary attack
trying popular words or phrases for passwords to guess the password quickly