Gr 12 3.2 – COMPUTER CRIMES AND CRIMINALS

Question 1

Botnet

Answer 1

A remotely controlled network of ‘zombie’ PCs (computers
infected with malware that enables criminals to use them
for launching DDOS attacks, sending out spam, ect.)

Question 2

Cracker

Answer 2

Term no longer in general use, but which refers to a ‘bad’
hacker (‘black hat hacker’) who does illegal things such as
stealing or making unauthorised changes to data.

Question 3

Cyberbullying

Answer 3

The use of ICT tools and devices (cellphones, e-mail, social
media ect) to malign, mock, embarrass, threaten or
intimidate a person.

Question 4

Cyber extortion

Answer 4

The use of IT-based blackmail, whereby threads are issues
ranging from the personal (e.g. release of unflattering
images) to the corporate (e.g DDOS attacks on websites) –
unless specified amounts of money are paid over to the
extortionist.

Question 5

Cybergang

Answer 5

A group of people who help each other to commit
cybercrimes. Each member often specialises in a different
task.

Question 6

DDOS

Answer 6

Distributed Denial of Service: an ‘attack’ that makes a
website unavailable by the use of thousands or millions of
computers to request data from the site at the same time.
The servers become overloaded, unresponsive, and
effectively unavailable for everyone.

Question 7

Hacker

Answer 7

General term used for any person who uses ICT skills to
access computer systems, networks and information
illegally. Sometimes differentiated into two subcategories,
‘good’ hackers (‘white hat hackers’) and ‘bad’ hackers (‘black
hat hackers’)

Question 8

Identity theft

Answer 8

When someone steals your details (e.g ID document, driver’s
license, PIN code) in order to pretend to be you, and then
buys expensive goods in your name, or draws money from
your account, ect.

Question 9

Piggybacking

Answer 9

Gaining access to and using someone else’s Internet
connection without paying for it, most often through use of
an unsecured WiFi network.

Question 10

Script kiddies

Answer 10

Derogative term used for people who do not know how to
create a virus from scratch, but who obtain virus ‘templates’,
or pre-created ‘scripts’, which they modify and release.

Question 11

Spammer

Answer 11

Someone who sends out unsolicited (unasked-for /
unwanted e-mail – usually in the form of advertisements.

Question 12

Virus author

Answer 12

Someone who writes the code for a computer virus (or other
form of malware).