Cyber security

Computer Science · The internet and its uses. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

Cyber security threats are ways of stealing, damaging or blocking access to data. Some attack the computer system. A brute-force attack tries every possible password, data interception captures data as it travels across a network, and a DDoS attack floods a server so that real users cannot reach it.

Malware is software written to do harm. The types to know are virus, worm, Trojan horse, spyware, adware and ransomware.

Other threats attack the person. Phishing, pharming and social engineering all trick a user into giving away data such as passwords or bank details. For each threat, learn how it works, what its aim is, and which solution protects against it.

Rules to remember

Common mistake

Students mix up phishing and pharming. Phishing needs the user to click a link in a fake message; pharming redirects the user even when the correct URL is typed.

Worked example

A user types the correct address of their bank, but a fake copy of the bank's website opens and asks for their password. No email was received. Which threat is this?

  1. The user was not sent a message with a link, so it is not phishing.
  2. The correct URL was typed, yet the user was taken to a fake website.
  3. This redirection is caused by malicious code on the user's computer or on a DNS server.
  4. The aim is to collect the user's login details.

Answer: Pharming.

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