Unit 5 · The internet and its uses
5.3 Cyber security
By the end of this section you should be able to
- 5.3.1 Describe a range of cyber security threats and their aims
- 5.3.2 Explain the solutions used to keep data safe
Lessons
Key vocabulary
- Brute-force attack
- Trying every possible password combination until the right one is found.
- Data interception
- Stealing data by tapping into a network while it is being transmitted.
- DDoS attack
- Flooding a server with requests from many devices so it cannot respond.
- Malware
- Software designed to harm a computer or its data.
- Ransomware
- Malware that encrypts data and demands payment to unlock it.
- Phishing
- Fake emails or messages that trick people into giving away personal details.
- Pharming
- Malicious code that redirects users to a fake website.
- Social engineering
- Manipulating people into giving away confidential information.
- Firewall
- Monitors traffic and blocks anything that does not meet set rules.
- Proxy server
- Sits between a user and the internet, hiding the user's IP address and filtering traffic.