Computer science 2

• Spike in web traffic


  Sudden increase in the number of users accessing a website or online service
• Data interception


  Stealing data by tapping into a wired or wireless network
• Data interception


  1. Tapping into a network

  2. Examining data packets being sent

  3. Stealing the data

  4. Sending the stolen data back to the hacker
• DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service)


  Attempt to prevent users from accessing part of a network, notably an internet server, by originating the attack from many computers which makes it hard to block
• Virus


  Program code that replicates with the intention of deleting or corrupting files, needs an active target computer
• Worm


  Spreads to other computers and corrupts whole networks, remains inside apps to move through networks
• Trojan horse


  Program often disguised as legitimate software but has malicious intent, replaces all or part of the legitimate software
• Spyware


  Software that gathers user information by monitoring their activities on their computer, sends the gathered information back to the cybercriminal
• Adware


  Attempts to flood the end user with unwanted advertising, exploits weaknesses in user security defenses, can remove, hijack a browser and create its own requests
• Ransomware


  Encrypts data on a user's computer, the cybercriminal waits until the ransom money is paid to provide the decryption key
• Phishing


  Cybercriminals contact a target, posing as a legitimate institution, to obtain sensitive information such as passwords or banking details
• Spear phishing


  Cybercriminals target specific individuals to redirect a website's traffic to another, fake site, can be done by changing the hosts file on a victim's computer or exploiting a vulnerability in DNS server software
• Social engineering


  Cyber attacks that rely on manipulating people into revealing sensitive information or performing actions, such as emails, baiting, and scary messaging
• Anti-malware


  Software that detects and removes malware programs installed on a user's computer
• Anti-virus


  Software that runs in the background and constantly checks for viruses
• Anti-spyware


  Software that detects and removes spyware programs installed on a user's computer
• Authentication methods


  • Username & password
  • Biometrics
  • Two-step verification
  • Two-factor authentication
• Firewall


  A firewall filters info that are in and out of, decides whether or not to allow communication with an external source, and it warns the user that the external source is trying to access their computer
• Firewalls can't prevent individuals on internal network from misconduct/carelessness, and users on stand-alone computer can choose to disable it, which leaves them at risk to harmful traffic
• Firewall filtering

  Filters the info that the computer receives, allows the user to decide whether to communicate with an external source, examines traffic between a user's computer and an external source or the network
• Proxy server


  An intermediate between the user and the web server, allows traffic to be filtered, keeps the user's IP address confidential, filters internet traffic, blocks requests from certain IP addresses, can also uses cache
• SSL encryption allows the user and the web server to make sense of what is transmitted, and SSL is being applied in "https"
• If the user chooses to disable the firewall, there will be uncontrolled traffic
• SSL communication process

  1. The user's browser sends a message to connect with the required website

  2. The web server identifies itself

  3. The web server sends a copy of its SSL certificate to the user's browser

  4. The browser authenticates the certificate

  5. The browser sends a message back to the web server to allow communication to begin

  6. The web server and the browser begin SSL-encrypted two-way data transfer