Chap 5.2 - cyber security threats Flashcards
8 cyber security threats
-DDos
-Malware
-Hacking
-Pharming
-Phishing
-Social engineering
-Brute force attack
-Data interception
What is brute force attack
a type of cyber security attack that tries to guess the user’s password using all possible combination of characters
How is brute force attack done
uses a program that automatically generates and tests different passwords until the right one is found
how does quality of password affect the effectiveness of brute force attack
weak password - effective
strong password - time- consuming
2 ways to reduce number of attempts for brute force attack
-check is password is one of the common ones
-use a strong words list
What is data interception
type of cyber security attack where transmitted data is stolen
how do you make brute force attack harder
-change passwords frequently
-long passwords with variation of characters
How is data interception done
-packet sniffer
-packet injection
-Man in the Middle ( MITM)
-wardriving / Access Point Mapping
what does packet sniffers do
examine data packets transmitted over a network
is packet sniffing done in wireless or wired network
both
what does packet injection do
forging data packets and sending them back in the network
why is packet injection used
-to intercept/ disrupt transmitted data packets
-causes network quality to degrade - blocks user from accessing network resources
what does Man in the Middle do (MITM)
hacker secretly intercepts data between 2 people who think they are communicating directly
what does wardriving/ Access Point Mapping do
-intercepting data from a wireless network using a device, antenna, GPS device and software outside the building
ways to safe guard from data interception
-have complex passwords to protect wireless router
-don’t use free public wifi
-us Wired Equivalence Privacy protocol (WEP)
-use a firewall
What does Wired Equivalency Privacy protocol do
- encrypts wifi transmission - makes data incomprehensible to hacker
What is hacking
a type of cyber attack that involves gaining unauthorised access to a computer system or network
how is hacking done
- social engineering
-exploits vulnerabilities in computer system or network
What is the limitation of encrypting data form hacking
it doesn’t prevent hacker from corrupting files but it makes data incomprehensible
what can hacking do
-change data
-delete or pass on data
How do you prevent hacking
-use firewalls
-use proxy server
-frequently change passwords
-use strong passwords
what is ethical hacking
hackers are paid to test company’s systems