EoY (chapter 5: The internet and the WWW, Cyber Security)

Question 1

what is the internet?

Answer 1

• word comes from INTERconnected NETwork
• it is baisically a collection of interconnected networks, hence its name
• it’s more of a concept than something tangible
• relies on physical infrastructure

Question 2

what is the WWW:

Answer 2

• WWW = world wide web
• it is JUST A PART OF THE INTERNET
• WWW = a collection of webpages
• it is accessed using web browser software
• based on hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)

Question 3

compare WWW and the internet:

Answer 3

WWW:
1. collection of web pages
2. URLs are used to find locations of web pages
3. accessed by web browsers
4. uses the internet to access information

internet:
1. users can send and receive emails
2. allows online chatting
3. uses TCP and IP
4. worldwide collection of interconnected networks + devices

Question 4

name the types of cyber threats (8 total)

Answer 4

• brute force attacks
• data interception
• DDoS (denial of service ) attacks
• hacking
• malware (viruses, Trojan horse, spyware…etc)
• phishing
• pharming
• social engineering

Question 5

brute force attacks?

Answer 5

• systematically trying all combinations of letters, numbers, and characters to try to crack a password
• might use a list of common passwords

Question 6

data interception?

Answer 6

• stealing data by tapping into a wired or wireless communication link
• intercepted data is then sent back to the hacker
• can be carried out using packet sniffers and/or APM (access point mapping)

Question 7

DDoS attacks?

Answer 7

• DDoS = distributed denial of service
• large number of requests sent to a server at once
• designed to flood a server with useless traffic
• server will stop and try to deal with the traffic, preventing users from accessing the web server
• the website might crash, and spam will originate from many different computers from different locations

Question 8

hacking?

Answer 8

• hacking = illegally accessing a computer system
• people hack because of curiosity, military, financial gain, and for malicious reasons

Question 9

types of malware? (6 types)

Answer 9

1. worms
2. viruses
3. ransomware
4. trojan horse
5. adware
6. spyware

Question 10

worms?

Answer 10

• malware that self-replicates
• spreads throughout networks (relys on poor network security)
• they replicate without targeting specific files
• don’t need an active program or user to initiate them

Question 11

viruses

Answer 11

• program replicates itself
• deletes and/or corrupts files

Question 12

ransomware:

Answer 12

• encrypts data on a user’s computer
• the criminal locks the data until they receive the ransom (money), after which they send the key to unlock it
• it often infects as a Trojan horse

Question 13

Trojan horse:

Answer 13

• disguised as legitimate software but has malicious intentions
• often arrives as an email attachment
• it needs to be executed to run and infect
• once installed it can act as spyware or ransomware

Question 14

adware:

Answer 14

• floods the user with unwanted adverts
• usually in the form of pop-ups
• re-directing browsers to different websites

Question 15

spyware

Answer 15

• user clicks on a link from an email or website
• when clicked, spyware is downloaded
• monitors user’s activity and relays it back to the criminal
• keypresses can be analyzed to find passwords
• common key logs allow passwords to be found

Question 16

phishing?

Answer 16

• legitimate-looking fake email sent
• user clicks on the link in the email, and then is re-directed to a fake website
• often used to try and steal financial details
• can be avoided by not clicking on links from unknown emails

Question 17

pharming?

Answer 17

• malicious code stored on a computer
• re-directs user to fake website to steal data
• can be avoided by checking the URL

Question 18

social engineering?

Answer 18

• no hacking is involved
• cybercriminal tries to manipulate the user to drop usual security procedures (sob-story, etc..)
• main types: instant messaging, scareware/pop-up, phishing, baiting, phone calls