1.4.1 & 1.4.2 - Threats and Preventing Vulnerabilities

Cause harm or damage to a computer system. Examples of malware include Spyware, Ransomware, Trojans and Viruses

Using social methods (emails and social media) to reveal personal or company information

A trail and error process that uses many passwords to try to guess a password to a computer system. Usually done with a program

Preventing legitimate users from accessing a service. This is done by a computer sending thousands of requests so that every data packet has to be processed and the server eventually crashes

Theft by copying data sent over a network

A command that reveals database details

Testing a systems vulnerabilities and defences in a secure, planned way often using “ethical hackers” They then give advice on how to improve the secuirt to make it harder for real attacks

• It has a database of malware defenitions • Every file that is downloaded (or incoming email) is checked to see if anything matches the database • If there is a match, the malware is quarantined and removed • It also does full system scans to see if there are any existing infected files

Used to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access into a system, by monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic. It only allows traffic from trusted sources

• Only users with certain credentials can access certain things on the network (based on their needs for work) • This means if one account is compromised, the data a hacker can access is limited reducing the effect of brute froce attacks

Used to authenticate the user

Scrambling data using cipher software and has to be read using a key so only the intended recipient and sender can read it This means if the data is intercepted, an unauthorised user can read the data, but not understand it

The use of locking doors, CCTV, biometrics etc. to deter thieves from taking hardware