Security Threats

• Any type of harmful program that seeks to damage or gain unauthorised access to your computer system.

• Can replicate itself and spread from system to system by attaching itself to infected files. • A virus is only activated when opened by a human. • Once activated, a virus can change data or corrupt a system so that it stops working.

• Can replicate itself and spread from system to system by finding weaknesses in software. • Does not need an infected file or human interaction to spread. • Spreads very quickly across a network once it has infiltrated it.

• Harmful program that looks like legitimate software so users are tricked into installing it. • A Trojan secretly gives the attacker back door access to the system. • Do not self replicate or infect other files.

• Secretly records the activities of a user on a computer. • The main aim of spyware is to record usernames, passwords and credit card information. • All recorded information is secretly passed back to the attacker to use.

• Secretly records the key presses of a user on a computer. Data is stored or sent back to the attacker. • It records usernames, passwords and credit card information. • Can be downloaded or plugged into the USB port.

• Locks files on a computer system using encryption so that a user can no longer access them. • The attacker demands money from the victim to decrypt the data. • Attackers usually use digital currencies like bitcoin which makes it hard to trace them.

• A SQL Injection is when a malicious SQL query is entered into a data input box on a website. • The SQL query can trick the website into giving unauthorised access to the website’s database. • Can be used to view and edit the contents of a database or even gain administrator privileges.

• SQL is a programming language used for manipulating data in databases.

• When a computer repeatedly sends requests to a server to overload the system. • A server overload will slow the system and may take websites offline temporarily.

• A coordinated attack using a botnet of infected systems to overload a server with requests.

• A large group of devices controlled and used maliciously by an attacker.

• Every possible combination tested in order from start to finish. • Not quick, but should break the password eventually. • Can be sped up if multiple computer systems are used at the same time.

• Trick others into revealing their personal data by posing as a trusted source. • e.g impersonating an IT Technician of a school via email and asking for a student’s username and password.

• When data packets on a network are intercepted by a third party (e.g hacker) and copied to a different location than the intended destination. • Software called packet sniffers are used to intercept and analyse data packets.