the internet and its uses (paper 1) Flashcards
define what the internet is
a global infrastrucure of interconnected networks
define what the world wide web is
all the web pages that are accessible via the internet
outline the difference between the internet and the world wide web
the internet is the basis and wires and infrastructure of the world wide web, which is all the web pages availiable on the internet
what does URL stand for
uniform resource locator
what is a URL
the unique text-based address each web page has
what do you use to access a web page
a program called a web browser
what is ‘https’
a protocol
what is a protocol
a set of rules for communication between devices
what do the rules of a protocol cover
- standards of physical connections
- standards of cabling
- standards of mode of transmission
- data format
- error detection
what does ‘http’ / ‘https’ stand for
HyperText Transfer Protocol (Secure)
what are the functions of a browser
- storing bookmarks and favourites
- recording user histroy
- allowing use of multiple tabs
- storing cookies
- providing navigation tools
- providing an address bar
what code is used for a web pages
HTML = HyperText Markup Language
what is an IP address
the unique address given to every public-facing, networked computer or computing device in the world
what are the two different types of IP addresses
IPv6 and IPv4
what is the role of the domain name server
to convert a website address (URL) into an IP address so that a browser can makke a requestion to the correct web server with that web page
what happens if the domain name server does not have an entry for that domain name
it passes the request to another more authoritive domain name server and if not match is found still, an error message will be sent
what are cookies
text files with small pieces of data
what type of file is a cookie
a text file
what are cookies used for
to track user preferences, hold items in a shopping cart, store login details and other personal details
what are the two types of cookies
- session cookies
- persistent cookies
what are session cookies
cookies that are created and replaced each time a user visits a website
what are persistent cookies
cookies that are created and saved on the first visit and retained until they expire
what is meant by the term digital currrency
any money-like asset that only exists in digital form and exchanged digitally
what is the most well known type of digital currency
bitcoin
when is bitcoin most oftenly used
- people can buy fractions of a bitcoin, like you can with gold
- it can be used to trade for goods, serices and other currencies
- some shops now accept bitcoin as a payment
why are digital companies gaining popularity
- can transfer funds from person to person without the intervention of private banking organisations
- this reduces transfer fees and speeds up transaction time and improves security and anonymity
what is a blockcahin
a database technology used to form a digital ledger of a time-stamped sreies of transaction records, tracking the movement of digital currency
explain how blockchain works
- each new transaction is added onto a chain of transaction blocks
- each transaction carries unique ID number and reference to blocks in the chain
- this reference is a hash total which is calculated by a ‘hashing’ algorithm using the previous blocks data
- a change to any data in any block would create a ripple as all hash values would have to be changed so there are multiple copies
why do block chains have multiple copies on different servers
so that of there is a change to a data block and it is not reflected in all copies, it will be rejected
this maintains the integrity and trustworthiness of the data
what is meant by the term cyber security
it relates to the processes, policies and practices designed to protect against any threats or unauthorised access to networks, computers, programs or data
what are the different types of cyber attacks
- hacking
- data interception and theft
- phishing
- shouldering
- pharming
- spyware
- brute force attacks
- suspicious links
give the two malware and the two social engineering cyber attacks
- malware = pharming, spyware
- social engineering = phishing, shouldering
what is hacking and how can it be prevented
- automated or manual attempts to gain unauthroised access to programs or data
- firewall to block access by unauthroised access
what is data interception and theft and how can it be prevented
- data may be intercepted during transmission, but physical theft can occur where storage devices or data files are left insecurely
- encryption, physical locks, passwords
what is phishing and how can it be prevented
- phishing emails redirect a user to a fake website where they trick the reader into divulging confidential information like passwords to bank accounts
- network policy, firewalls, user awareness of phishing ‘clues’
what is shouldering and how can in be prevented
- looking over someone’s shoulder when they enter a passwork or PIN
- concealing your password or PIN entry
what are brute force attacks and how can they be prevented
- automated or manual attempt to gain unauthorised access to secure areas by truing all possible passwords or key combinations
- strong passwords with limited attempts allowed
what is spyware and how can it be prevented
- software that hides on your conputer recording your activities to send back to a third party for analysis
- anti-malware, ani-spyware software
what is pharming and how can it be prevented
- a form of cyberattack that sends you to a fake website that looks like the real things. the user types in a legitimate address and is redirected to a fake website
- checking the URL, making sure the site says HTTPS not just HTTP, using a trusted internet service provider
define malware
malicious software written to cause inconvenience or damage to programs or data
what are the different types of malware
- viruses
- worms
- trojan horse
- ransomware
- adware
- distributed denial of service attack
what are viruses
a program that is installed on a computer without the user’s kowledges or permission with the purpose of doing harm - it has instructions to replicated automatically
what are worms
they are similar to viruses and can cause damage like corrupting files and stealing information - but it does not self replicated
what is a trojan horse
a program that disguises itself as having a legitimate purpose but actually has another - it is often spred via email
what is ransomware
it encypts all the victim’s files and a ransom is then demanded from the attacker in return to have files decrypted
what is adware
malware that automatically displays onscreen advertisements, it is not always dangerous but may redirect the browser to an unsafe site
what is a distributed ddenial of service attack
- a malicious attempt to distrupt the normal trafic of a targeted server with a flood of internet requests
- all these extra requests establish a botnet and evenutally the server fails or tuimmes out
how can you keep your data safe
- biometrics (face ID, fingreprint, voicerecognition)
- two-step verification
- passwords
- automatic software updates
- secure socket layer protocol
- privacy settings
- proxy servers
what is meant by the term biometrics
use of pre-recorded human characteristics to authenticated authorised users of a system or device
what is meant by the term two-step verification
security method which needs two authentication methods preformed one after the other to prove identity
what is a good way to ensure that passwords remain effective
that they are strong and changed regulary
how do automatic software updates keep your data safe
they keep applications and the operating system constantly up to date - this enables bugs and security flaws to be fixed
what does SSL protocol stand for
secure socket layer protocol
what is SSL protocol
provides a clear channel between two computers or devices operating over the Internet eg HTTPS
what is a proxy server
any machine that checks and forwards traffic between networks or protocols
how does a proxy server keep data safe
provides varying levels of functionality, security and privacy depending on needs or company policy
