1b - How External Threats Function

Question 1

List the types of malware

Answer 1

Spyware, adware, ransomware, viruses, worms, rootkits, trojans

Question 2

What does spyware do?

Answer 2

gathers information and data from the device it has infected and sends it away, done with keylogger.

Question 3

What does adware do?

Answer 3

displays advertisements used to generate revenue, often with pop-ups.

Question 4

What does ransomware do?

Answer 4

Prevents a user accessing their system, often by encrypting files. Demands a sum of money to unencrypt data.

Question 5

What do viruses do?

Answer 5

Viruses modify existing programs with malicious code, and constantly replicate throughout a computer, they usually corrupt data and utilise system performance.

Question 6

What do worms do?

Answer 6

Worms are similar to viruses, however, they can replicate through networks instead of shared files.

Question 7

What do rootkits do?

Answer 7

Rootkits are used to get unauthorised remote administrator access to a computer or network.

Question 8

What do trojans do?

Answer 8

Trojans are malicious code disguised as a regular program. Often accidentally downloaded by the user.

Question 9

What is meant by heuristic analysis.

Answer 9

Heuristic analysis is often done by an antivirus and scans a program for irregular commands or instructions.

Question 10

What is signature based analysis?

Answer 10

Signature based analysis scans a program against a repository of static signatures. These signatures are often found in packet headers or data contents.

Question 11

Generally define hacking.

Answer 11

Hacking is a term that describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in a computer system in order to gain unauthorised access.

Question 12

Define attack vector.

Answer 12

An attack vector is the path or method that an attacker takes to gain unauthorised access to a system or data. Often used to deliver payloads.

Question 13

Define white hat hacking.

Answer 13

Authorised hacking in order to uncover weaknesses in a system.

Question 14

Why do governments and companies hack?

Answer 14

evaluate their own weaknesses, profit, gather information (corporate espionage)

Question 15

Define the plan-do-check-act loop.

Answer 15

PDCA provides a simple and effective way of testing for improvement on a small scale before updating procedures and working practices.

Question 16

Define sabotage.

Answer 16

Generic term that applies to a deliberate attempt to disrupt systems.

Question 17

List some examples of sabotage.

Answer 17

DOS attack, distributing malware, physical damage to systems, embedding malicious code into systems.

Question 18

Define social engineering.

Answer 18

Exploiting the human elements in a system in order to gain access to a system.

Question 19

What is an APT?

Answer 19

Advanced persistent threat. Persistent, secretive, and sophisticated hacking techniques. High effort so usually targeted at high value targets (companies and governments).