Definitions Flashcards
Adware
software that auto displays/downloads advertising material when online
* often without knowledge or consent
Brute Force Attack
Method of breaking a password/encryption by trying all possible combos
Chipping
Practice of altering/replacing microchips to change functionality
Click Fraud
Act of repeatedly clicking on a pay-per-click ad to generate fraudulent charges for the advertiser
Denial-of-Service Attack
An attack that makes a machine/network resource unavailable to its intended user by flooding internet traffic
Hacking
Unathorized intrusion into computer/network
Identity Theft
Fraudulent acquisition and use of a person’s private identifying information
IP Address Spoofing
Creation of IP packets with a false source IP address to conceal the sender’s identity/impersonate another system
Keylogger
Surveillance software that records every keystroke made on a computer
Lebanese Looping
Technique used to commit fraud at ATMs where devices are used to trap a victim’s card in teh machine, allowing the criminal to retrieve it later
Password Cracking
Process of attempting to gain unauthorized access to restricted systems using common passwords/algorithms that guess passwords
Pharming
Cyberattack intended to redirect a website’s traffic to another, bogus site
Phishing
Attempt to acquire sensitive info such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by acting as a trustworthy entity
Phreaking
Act of hacking into telecommunications systems, primarily to make free long-distance phone calls or to have calls billed to other accounts
Pod Slurping
Unathorized access and downloading of data from a computer/network using portable devices like smartphones, USB drives, or other portable media
Posing
Act of pretending to be someone else in order to gain unathorized access to information/resources
Pretexting
Practice of presenting oneself as someone else in order to obtain private information
Ransomware
Malware that encrypts a user’s data and demands payment in order to decrypt and restore access
Salami Technique
Small, stealthy alterations or transactions that are below the threshold of detection, but accumulate to a significant amount over time
* Office Space
Scavenging/Dumpster Diving
Searching through trash/discarded digital media to find confidential info that can be used in fraudulent activities
Shoulder Surfing
Observing someone’s private information/password by looking over their shoulder as they enter it on a device
Skimming
Theft of credit/debit card info by using a device that reads and stores the card’s magnetic strip data during a transaction
Spyware
Software that is installed on a computer without the user’s knowledge and collects and transmits info about the user’s computer activities
Steganography
Practice of hiding secret info within something non-secret, such as embedding a message within an image or audio file, to avoid detection
Trap Door/Back Door
Secret entry points into a software program/network/system often creaed by developers, which allow for unauthorized access bypassing normal authentication
Trojan Horse
Malicious software that misleads users of its true intent, often disguised as legit software, and when activated can compromise the security of a system
Typosquatting/ URL Hijacking
Practice of registering domains that are misspellings of popular websites to exploit typing errors made by internet users, often to redirect them to fraudulent sites or to steal information
Virus
Malicious software that replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code
Vishing
Attacker uses phone calls/voice messages to trick individuals into divulging sensitive personal info
* form of phishing
Worm
Standalone malware that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers without needing to attach itself to a software program
Zero-Day Attack
Cyber-attack that occurs on the same day as a weakness is discovered in software.
* Exploited before a fix becomes available
