Chapter 5 Definitions

Question 1

Define internet

Answer 1

The world-wide interconnection of networks; the internet makes use of TCP and IP protocols

Question 2

Define World Wide Web

Answer 2

A massive collection of web pages and is based on hypertext transfer protocols (http and https)

Question 3

Define (web) browser

Answer 3

Software that connects to a domain name server (DNS) to locate IP addresses; a browser interprets HTML web pages sent to a user’s computer so that the user can read documents and watch multimedia

Question 4

Define HTML

Answer 4

Hyper Text Mark-up Language - the language used to design, display and format web pages, and to write http(s) protocols

Question 5

Define URL

Answer 5

Uniform Resource Locator - a text-based address for a web page

Question 6

Define https

Answer 6

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure - http with extra security (such as SSL) applied

Question 7

Define hyperlink

Answer 7

Highlighted text or an image that is activated by clicking and links to further text, images, a web page or a website

Question 8

Define DNS

Answer 8

Domain Name Server - a server that looks up domain names for websites in order to find the IP addresses that a computer needs to locate the web servers

Question 9

Define cookie

Answer 9

A text file sent from a website to a user’s browser; it is used to remember user preferences each time they visit the website

Question 10

Define user preferences

Answer 10

Settings or options stored in cookies that can remember customised web pages or indicate browsing history to target adverts

Question 11

Define session cookie

Answer 11

A cookie that is stored temporarily on a computer; it is deleted when the browser is closed or the website session ends

Question 12

Define persistent cookie

Answer 12

A cookie that is stored on the user’s hard drive and only deleted when the expiry date is reached or the cookie is deleted by the user

Question 13

Define virtual shopping basket

Answer 13

An area of memory in a website where items a user wishes to purchase are temporarily stored; items remain in the basket until payment is made or the session has ended

Question 14

Define digital currency

Answer 14

Currency that exists in electronic form only; it has no physical form and is essentially data on a database

Question 15

Define cryptocurrency

Answer 15

A form of digital currency that uses a chain of decentralised computers to control and monitor transactions

Question 16

Define cryptography

Answer 16

The protection of data/information by use of coding; it usually involves encryption and decryption

Question 17

Define blockchain

Answer 17

A decentralised database where all transactions are stored; it consists of a number of interconnected computers but not a central server

Question 18

Define timestamp

Answer 18

A digital record of the date and time that a data block is created in blockchain networks

Question 19

Define proof-of-work

Answer 19

The algorithm used in blockchain networks to confirm a transaction and to produce new blocks to add to the chain; special users called miners complete and monitor transactions on the network for a reward

Question 20

Define brute force attack

Answer 20

A ‘trial and error’ method used by cybercriminals to crack passwords by finding all possible combinations of letters, numbers and symbols until the password is found

Question 21

Define word list

Answer 21

A text file containing a collection of words used in a brute force attack

Question 22

Define data interception

Answer 22

An attempt to eavesdrop on a wired or wireless network transmission; cybercriminals often use packet sniffing or access point mapping / wardriving to intercept data

Question 23

Define packet sniffing

Answer 23

A method used by a cybercriminal to examine data packets being sent over a network and to find the contents of a data packet, which are sent back to the cybercriminal

Question 24

Define wardriving

Answer 24

Using a laptop, antenna, GPS device and software to intercept Wi-Fi signals and illegally obtain data; sometimes called Access Point Mapping

Question 25

Define wired equivalency privacy (WEP) encryption protocol
security

Answer 25

An algorithm for wireless networks to protect them against data interception

Question 26

Define denial of service (DoS) attack

Answer 26

A cyberattack in which cybercriminals seek to disrupt the normal operation of a website by flooding it with requests; also used to clog up a user’s mailbox by sending out thousands of spam emails

Question 27

Define distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack

Answer 27

A denial of service (DoS) attack in which the fake requests come from many different computers, which makes it harder to stop

Question 28

Define spam

Answer 28

Unsolicited emails sent to a user’s mailbox

Question 29

Define hacking

Answer 29

The act of gaining illegal access to a computer system without the owner’s permission

Question 30

Define malware

Answer 30

Programs (such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses) installed on a user’s computer with the aim of deleting, corrupting or manipulating data illegally

Question 31

Define virus

Answer 31

A program or program code that replicates itself with the intention of deleting or corrupting files or by causing the computer system to malfunction

Question 32

Define active host

Answer 32

Functioning software that a virus can affect by attaching itself to the code or by altering the code to allow the virus to carry out its attack

Question 33

Define worm

Answer 33

A stand-alone type of malware that can self replicate; unlike viruses, worms don’t need an active host; they can spread throughout a network without the need for any action by an end-user

Question 34

Define Trojan horse

Answer 34

A type of malware that is designed to look like legitimate software but contains malicious code that can cause damage to a computer system

Question 35

Define spyware

Answer 35

A type of malware that gathers information by monitoring a user’s activities on a computer and sends the gathered information back to the cybercriminal who sent out the spyware

Question 36

Define adware

Answer 36

a type of malware that attempts to flood the end user with unwanted advertising

Question 37

Define ransomware

Answer 37

A type of malware that encrypts data on a user’s computer and ‘holds the data hostage’ until a ransom is paid

Question 38

Define phishing

Answer 38

Sending out legitimate-looking emails designed to trick the recipients into giving their personal details to the sender of the email

Question 39

Define spear phishing

Answer 39

Similar to phishing but targeting specific people or organisations rather than carrying out a blanket attack

Question 40

Define pharming

Answer 40

Redirecting a user to a fake website in order to illegally obtain personal data about the user without their knowledge; unlike phishing, pharming is initiated without needing any action by the user

Question 41

Define DNS cache poisoning

Answer 41

Altering IP addresses on a domain name server (DNS) with the intention of redirecting a user’s browser to a fake website; carried out by a pharmer or hacker

Question 42

Define social engineering

Answer 42

Manipulating people into breaking normal security procedures in order to gain illegal access to computer systems or to place malware on their computer

Question 43

Define access levels

Answer 43

Different levels of access in a computer system allowing a hierarchy of access levels depending on user’s level of security

Question 44

Define anti-spyware

Answer 44

Software that detects and removes spyware programs installed on a system; the software is based on typical spyware rules or known file structures

Question 45

Define authentication

Answer 45

The process of proving a user’s identity by using something they know, something they have or something unique to them

Question 46

Define biometrics

Answer 46

Type of authentication that uses a unique human characteristic, such as fingerprints, voice or retina blood vessel pattern

Question 47

Define two-step verification

Answer 47

A type of authentication that requires two methods of verification to prove the identity of a user

Question 48

Define patch

Answer 48

An update for software that is developed to improve the software and/or to remove any bugs

Question 49

Define typo squatting

Answer 49

The use by cybercriminals of subtle spelling errors in website addresses used to trick users into visiting their fake websites

Question 50

Define firewall

Answer 50

Software or hardware that sits between a computer and an external network; the firewall monitors and filters all incoming and outgoing traffic

Question 51

Define proxy server

Answer 51

A server that acts as an intermediary server through which internet requests are processed; it often makes use of cache memory to speed up web page access

Question 52

Define privacy settings

Answer 52

Controls available on social networking and other websites which allow users to limit who can access their profile or what they are allowed to see

Question 53

Define secure sockets layer (SSL)

Answer 53

A security protocol used when sending data over a network (such as the internet)

Question 54

Define SSL certificate

Answer 54

A form of digital certificate which is used to authenticate a website; providing the SSL certificate can be authenticated, any communication or data exchange between browser and website is secure