security and ethics Flashcards
what is hacking
-way of gaining illegal access to the computer system
what can hacking lead to
identity theft or corruption of data
how can u prevent hacking or reduce hacking
using strong passwords, firewalls, anti-hacking software
what is cracking
editing of a program source code so that it can be changed for a specific purpose (eg. modifying the code to lead a user to a fake website)
what are viruses
a program code that can replicate itself with the intention of causing the computer to malfunction
what can viruses lead to
slow running or crashes in computers
how can you reduce viruses
running anti-virus software or not opening emails from an unknown source
what is phishing
legitimate-looking emails that when opened, the user will be requested to enter financial details or will lead them to a fake website where they will be asked to give personal data
what is pharming
malicious code is installed into the user’s computer and the code leads the user to a fake bogus website
how to reduce pharming
using anti-spyware software to identify and remove pharming code on the hardware; user can also find signs such as whether the website has padlock to make sure its safe
what is spyware/key-logging software
gathers data by monitoring key presses on a user’s computer (often used for identifying passwords)
how to reduce spyware
use of mouse to select characters; using drop down boxes
what are cookies
it is a message given to the browser by the web server - it stores details about user’s preferences on a website
what are uses of cookies
enables login info to be kept provides customized pages for users enables target adverts enables fast shopping helps to distinguish between new and old visitors
