AQA Computer Science GCSE Topic 6: Cyber Security Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions and security measures for AQA Computer Science GCSE Topic 6: Cyber Security.

Cyber Security

Consists of the processes, practices, and technologies designed to protect networks, computers, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorised access.

Social Engineering Techniques

The art of manipulating people so they give up confidential information.

Malicious Code/Software (Malware)

An umbrella term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software.

Pharming

A cyber attack intended to redirect a website's traffic to a fake website.

Weak and Default Passwords

Passwords that are easy to guess or are pre-set by manufacturers and are not changed by the user, making systems vulnerable.

Misconfigured Access Rights

Incorrectly set permissions or privileges that allow users to access more files or systems than they need as part of their role, increasing the risk of data misuse.

Removable Media

External secondary storage devices (e.g., USB drives, external hard drives) onto which data can be copied and easily removed from the computer.

Unpatched and/or Outdated Software

Software that has known security vulnerabilities because it has not been updated with the latest fixes

Penetration Testing

The process of attempting to gain access to resources without knowledge of usernames, passwords, and other normal means of access, to identify security weaknesses.

Malicious Insider

A type of penetration testing where the testing team has knowledge of and possibly basic credentials for the target system, simulating an attack from inside the system (a malicious insider).

Black-box Penetration Testing

A type of penetration testing where the testing team has no knowledge of any credentials for the target system, simulating an attack from outside the system (an external attack).

Blagging (Pretexting)

The act of creating and using an invented scenario (a pretext) to engage a targeted victim in a manner that increases the chance the victim will divulge information or perform actions that would be unlikely in ordinary circumstances.

Phishing

A technique of fraudulently obtaining private information, often using deceptive emails or SMS messages that appear to be from a legitimate source.

Shouldering (Shoulder Surfing)

Observing a person's private information over their shoulder, such as cashpoint machine PIN numbers or login credentials.

Computer Virus

A type of malware that attaches itself to legitimate programs and spreads to other computers when those programs are run, often designed to damage systems or steal data.

Trojan (Trojan Horse)

A type of malware that appears to be legitimate software but secretly carries out malicious functions when executed.

Spyware

A type of malware that secretly gathers information about a person or organisation without their knowledge and sends it to another entity.

Biometric Measures

Security measures that use unique biological characteristics (e.g., fingerprints, facial recognition) for authentication.

Password Systems

Security measures that rely on a secret string of characters (password) for user authentication.

CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart)

A security measure used to differentiate between human users and automated bots, often involving distorted text or image recognition.

Using Email Confirmations

A security measure that involves sending an email to a registered address to confirm a user's identity, often for account activation or password resets.

Automatic Software Updates

A security measure where software is automatically updated to the latest version, which often includes security patches for known vulnerabilities.