Threats to Data (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
Hacking
What is a hacking?
Hacking is a generic term used to describe the act of gaining unauthorised access to computer systems or networks to gain control, steal information, or cause damage
A hacker is a criminal who exploits technical vulnerabilities to break into computer systems and networks
Hackers seek out opportunities that make this possible, these include:
Unpatched software
Out-of-date anti-malware
Weak passwords
What are the effects of hacking?
Hacking can cause a number of issues for an organisation or individual, these include:
Data breaches
Installation of malware
Data loss
Identify theft
Financial loss
How can hacking be prevented?
Hacking can be prevented by a number of methods, some of these include:
Using strong passwords
Using two-factor authentication
Installing anti-malware software
Using firewalls
Phishing
What is a phishing?
Phishing is a form of social engineering
It involves sending fraudulent, legitimate-looking emails to a large number of email addresses, claiming to be from a reputable company or trusted source to try and gain access to your details
Phishing often tries to coax the user to click on a login button to enter their details
What are the effects of phishing?
The creator of the email can gain unauthorised access to personal data such as login information, bank accounts and more
Phishing can lead to identity theft or fraudulent activity on credit cards and bank accounts
How can phishing be prevented?
Phishing can be prevented by:
Anti-spam filters to avoid fraudulent emails arriving in a user's inbox
Training staff to recognise fraudulent emails and to avoid opening attachments from unrecognised senders
User access levels to prevent staff from being able to open files-types such as executable (.exe) files and batch (.bat) files
Pharming
What is a pharming?
Pharming is typing a website address into a browser and it is redirected to a 'fake' website to trick a user into typing in sensitive information such as passwords
An attacker attempts to alter DNS settings or change a users browser settings to redirect users to the fraudulent website
What are the effects of pharming?
The creator of the malicious content can gain unauthorised access to personal data such as login information, bank accounts and more
Pharming can lead to identity theft or fraudulent activity on credit cards and bank accounts
How can pharming be prevented?
Pharming can be prevented by:
Keeping anti-malware software up to date
Checking URLs regularly
Make sure the padlock icon is visible
Smishing & vishing
What is a smishing & vishing?
Smishing (SMS phishing) is a form of phishing where attackers use SMS to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information or downloading malicious content.
Vishing (voice phishing) is also a form of phishing involving fraudulent phone calls where attackers impersonate legitimate companies to get personal information
What are the effects of smishing and vishing?
These attacks can result in unauthorised access to personal data such as login information and bank accounts
They can lead to identity theft
How can pharming be prevented?
Pharming can be prevented by:
Keeping anti-malware software up to date
Checking URLs regularly
Make sure the padlock icon is visible
Viruses & malware
Why is malware a threat?
Malware (malicious software) is the term used for any software that has been created with malicious intent to cause harm to a computer system
Examples of issues caused by malware include
Files being deleted, corrupted or encrypted
Internet connection becoming slow or unusable
Computer crashing or shutting down
Malware can exist in many forms, each designed to perform its role in different ways
Malware | What it Does |
---|---|
Computer virus |
|
Trojan |
|
Spyware |
|
How can malware be prevented?
To protect against the threat of malware:
Ensure code is written correctly
Keep anti-malware software up to date
Install a firewall
Educate users
Card fraud
Why is card fraud a threat?
Card fraud is a threat as fraudsters will try to gain illegal access to credit and debit cards
The main way this is achieved is through:
Should surfing (shouldering)
Card cloning
Keylogging
Should Surfing
Observing a person's private information over their shoulder e.g. cashpoint machine PINs
This can be prevented by users ensuring they have covered over their PIN when entering it
Card cloning
This is the copying of the data from a user's credit or debit card by scanning the magnetic strip through a skimmer machine
Card cloning can be prevented by ensuring a card with a chip is being used and the chip can not be cloned, though the data on it can still be read
Keylogging
This is software installed to detect and store keystrokes from the keyboard and send the data back to the criminal
Data such as passwords and other secure data can be collected this way
To prevent key logging, users should frequently scan their system using anti-virus software and use cloud password software to prevent having to enter their details manually
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