comp sci

• Cyber security threats


  Major challenge for individuals and organisations that rely on digital technology to store and transmit sensitive information
• Brute-force attack


  • Trial-and-error method used to crack passwords or encryption keys by trying every possible combination until the correct one is found
  • Aim is to gain unauthorised access to a system or network
• Data interception


  • Eavesdropping on communication channels to intercept and steal sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal data
  • Aim is to steal sensitive information for personal gain or to use it for further cyber attacks
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack

  • Multiple computers are used as bots to flood a server with lots of requests at the same time which the server can't respond to, causing it to crash or become unavailable to users
  • Aim is to disrupt the normal functioning of a system or network by denying users access
• Hacking


  • Gaining unauthorised access to a system or network to steal or manipulate data, disrupt services, or cause damage
  • Aim can vary from personal gain to activism or cyber espionage
• Types of malware


  • Virus
  • Worm
  • Trojan horse
  • Spyware
  • Adware
  • Ransomware
• Virus


  Piece of code that attaches itself to a legitimate program or file and then replicates itself to spread to other programs or files on the computer, can cause damage to the system
• Worm


  Standalone program that can spread and replicate itself over computer networks, can take up storage space or bandwidth
• Trojan horse


  Program that disguises itself as a legitimate program or file, but when installed, it can delete data or damage hardware
• Spyware


  Software that records all key presses and transmits these to a third party
• Adware


  Type of software that displays unwanted advertisements on the computer without the user's consent, some may contain spyware and some may link to viruses when clicked
• Ransomware


  Type of malware that encrypts the user's files and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them, can cause data loss, financial damage and disrupt business operations
• Malware attacks


  Aim can range from data theft to extortion or disruption of services
• Phishing


  • User is sent an email which looks legitimate, containing a link to a fake website where the user is encouraged to enter their details
  • Aim is to steal sensitive information for personal gain or to use it for further cyber attacks
• Pharming


  • Malware being downloaded without the user's knowledge, redirects the user to a fake website where they're encouraged to enter their personal details
  • Aim is to steal sensitive information for personal gain or to use it for further cyber attacks
• A user needs to click on a link or an attachment to open the fake web page or trigger a download of malicious code, and not just open the email
• Social engineering


  • Manipulating individuals to gain access to confidential information or to perform an action that benefits the attacker
  • Techniques include impersonation, baiting, and pretexting
  • Aim is to exploit human behaviour and vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to a system or network
• Accidental data damage


  • Loss of power
  • Liquids being spilt
  • Flooding
  • Fire
  • Hardware failure
  • Software failure
  • Human error
• Access levels


  • Used to restrict access to sensitive information to only authorised personnel
  • Can be set based on a user's role, responsibility, or clearance level
  • Full access, read-only access, no access
• Anti-malware


  • Used to prevent and remove malware
  • Includes anti-virus and anti-spyware programs
  • Scans files and compares them to a list of known malware, quarantines and deletes any malware found
• Authentication methods


  • Passwords
  • Biometrics
  • Two-factor authentication
• Passwords


  Used to protect sensitive data by preventing unauthorised access, should be complex, unique, and changed regularly
• Biometrics


  Uses biological data for authentication by identifying unique physical characteristics of a human, more secure than passwords
• Two-factor authentication (2FA)


  Requires users to provide two forms of authentication before accessing data, provides an extra layer of security
• Automating software updates


  • Ensures software systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches, helps prevent security threats
• Checking communications


  • Checking spelling and tone can prevent phishing attacks
• Checking URLs


  • Checking the URL attached to a link can prevent phishing attacks, hackers often use fake URLs
• Firewalls


  • Monitor incoming and outgoing traffic between the computer and the network, accept or reject traffic based on user-set criteria, can help prevent hacking and malware
• Privacy settings


  • Control the amount of personal information shared online, important to prevent identity theft and online fraud
• Proxy-servers


  • Hide a user's IP address and location, filter web traffic and block malicious content, protect against external security threats
• Secure Socket Layer (SSL)


  • Security protocol used to encrypt data transmitted over the internet, helps prevent eavesdropping and interception, widely used to protect online transactions
• Physical methods


  • Used to physically protect hardware that stores sensitive data, can include locked rooms, CCTV, bodyguards
• Backup


  Process of making a copy of files in case something happens to the original ones, important to protect against data loss
• Ethical concerns with using the internet

  • Addiction
  • Breaching copyright
  • Cyber bullying
  • Data protection
  • Environmental effects
  • Fake news
  • Inappropriate materials
  • Intellectual property theft
  • Piracy
  • Plagiarism
  • Privacy
• System Software


  Provides the services that the computer requires, including operating system and utility software
• Application Software


  Designed to carry out a specific task the user would need for completing a variety of tasks
• Systems Software


  • Allows instructions to be processed by the CPU to allow word processing software to process
  • Without systems software the system would be useless
• Elements of Systems Software

  • Operating System
  • Utility Software
• Operating System


  A program designed to run other programs on a computer, managing both software and hardware resources
• Operating System


  1. Managing files

  2. Handling interrupts

  3. Providing an interface

  4. Managing peripherals and drivers

  5. Managing memory

  6. Manage multitasking

  7. Providing a platform for running applications

  8. Providing system security

  9. Managing user accounts