Chapter 4: Hackers Flashcards
Downtime
A period of time when a system is unavailable.
Information Security
A broad term encompassing the protect of information from accidental or intentional misuse by persons inside or outside an organization.
Hackers
Experts in technology who use their knowledge to break into computers and computer networks.
Black Hat Hackers
Break into other people’s computer systems and may just look around or steal and destroy information.
Crackers
Have criminal intent when hacking.
Cyberterrorists
Seek to cause harm to people or to destroy critical systems or information and use the internet as a weapon of mass destruction.
Hactivists
Have philosophical and political reasons for breaking into systems and will often deface the website as a protest.
Script kiddies or script bunnies
Find hacking code on the internet and click-and-point their way into systems to cause damage or spread viruses.
White Hat Hackers
Work at the request of system owners to find system vulnerabilities and plug the holes.
Virus
Software written with malicious intent to cause annoyance or damage.
Malware
software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems.
Worm
Spreads itself not only from file to file but also from computer to computer.
Adware
Software that, although purporting to serve some useful function and often fulfilling that function, also allows internet advertisers to display advertisements without consent of the computer user.
Spyware
Class of adware that collects data about the user and transmits it over the internet without the user’s knowledge or permission.
Ransomware
Malicious software that infects your computer and asks for money.
Backdoor Program (Type of Virus)
Opens a way into the network for future attacks.
Denial-of-Service Attack (DoS)
Type of Virus
Floods a website with so many requests for service that it slows down or crashes.
Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack (DDoS)
Type of Virus
Attacks from multiple computers that flood a website with so many requests for service that it slows down or crashes.
Polymorphic Viruses and Worms
Type of Virus
Change their form as they propagate.
Trojan-Horse Virus
Hides inside other software, usually as an attachment or a downloadable file.
Scareware
Type of malware designed to trick victims into giving up personal information to purchase or download useless and potentially dangerous software.
