security Flashcards
security
access levels / level of access
Settings that determine who can access an item and what they can do with it (read, write, delete). Applies to files, folders and databases among other things.
anti-virus
Software to detect and remove viruses and other malware.
asymmetric key encryption
Encryption system in which two keys are used: a public key used only to encrypt data, and a private key used only to decrypt it.
authentication
Establishing a user’s identity.
backdoor
Method of bypassing security in a system, built in by the system designers.
biometric enrolment
Process of registering a user for a biometric system by taking an initial sample.
biometric template
Measurements taken from a biometric sample.
biometrics
Use of fingerprints, retina scans, or other body features as an authentication mechanism.
botnet
Group of zombie computers under the control of a criminal.
brute force attack
Attempt to break a password by trying all possible combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols.
CAPTCHA
Scribble text displayed as an image, which the user must type in to verify that they are a person.
Certificate Authority
Organisation that issues digital certificates to individuals and companies.
ciphertext
Result of encrypting plaintext.
Computer Misuse Act
UK law governing criminal offences committed using a computer.
cracking
Gaining illegal access to a computer system
DDoS
Denial of service attack committed using dozens of computers, usually zombies on a botnet.
denial of service attack
Flooding a computer system with data so that it cannot respond to genuine users.
dictionary attack
Attempt to break a password by trying all possible words.
digital signatures
Technique used to authenticate remote users, such as online shopping businesses.
Distributed Denial of Service attack
Denial of service attack committed using dozens of computers, usually zombies on a botnet.
DNS poisoning
Technique used by criminals to alter DNS records and drive users to fake sites, to committing phishing.
DoS
Flooding a computer system with data so that it cannot respond to genuine users.
Drive-by download
Program which automatically downloads when a user visits a web page, usually without their knowledge or consent.
encryption
System of encoding plaintext so that it cannot be understood with access to an encryption key.
encryption key
Used to encrypt and decrypt data.
EV SSL
Extended Validation SSL. Digital certificate validation technique used on the world wide web.
false negative
When a system incorrectly rejects an action instead of accepting it.
false positive
When a system incorrectly accepts an action instead of rejecting it.
full disk encryption
System that encrypts all data saved to a hard disk automatically and transparently.
hacking
Gaining illegal access to a computer system
home directory
Directory that contains a users personal files.