The Internet Flashcards
Internet
Interconnected networks
Circuit switching network
Dedicated connection that is set up between you and another person
Used for phone calls
Packet switching
-File broken up into data packets
-Data packets all contain same number of bytes. They are marked with packet numbers and total number of packets in transmission
-Reassembled by recipient’s computer
-If packet is corrupt or lost, they are asked to be resent
WAN
Wide Area Network
-Networks in which the computers communicate using resources from a “third party carrier”
-Uses cables, telephone lines, satellites, and radio waves to connect over a wide geographical area
DNS
Domain Name System
-Translates web address into IP address
-DNS “root” servers keep complete databases with names and addresses
-If a server does not have the request in its database, it passes on the request to the next server
URL
Uniform Resource Locator
-A webpage’s text-based web address
Examples of network threats
Social engineering (psychological manipulation to get people to give sensitive info)
-Phishing (example of social engineering - pretending to be a trusted person or business)
-Shoulder surfing (observing a user entering details)
-Brute force attacks (attacker goes through a list of passwords until account access is gained)
Cookies
Small text files which store data
Session cookies
-Lost when site is closed
-Stored only in browser’s memory
Persistent cookies
-Remains even when site is closed or reloaded
-Stored on disk
Digital currency
Currency that exists only electronically
Managed by central banks and governments
Blockchain
List of all records made within a digital currency
Cannot be changed
Cryptocurrency
Decentralised
Funds managed by user
No bank or government entity involved
How phishing can be avoided
Spam filter for emails
Viruses
A type of malware which is installed without user’s knowledge with the purpose of doing harm
Embeds itself in other programs or data files
Easily spread if a user sends an infected file to someone else
