AP Cybersecurity Unit 2 Test Review

Authority

Exploiting the tendency to follow instructions from figures of power.

Intimidation

Using threats or fear to influence targets.

Consensus

Pressuring someone by showing that "everyone else is doing it."

Scarcity

Creating a sense of limited time or resources to trigger hasty decisions.

Familiarity (Impersonation/Spoofing)

Pretending to be someone the target knows or trusts.

Urgency

Forcing quick action through fake deadlines or time pressure.

Social Engineering

Manipulating people into taking actions or revealing confidential information.

Delivery Method

The channel used to carry out an attack, such as email, text, social media, phone call or in-person contact.

Target

The person or group an attacker tries to manipulate.

Compliance

When a target performs the action an attacker requested.

Adversary

An individual or group that tries to compromise systems, networks or data for malicious purposes.

Script Kiddie

A low-skilled adversary who relies on pre-built tools and exploits created by others.

Hacktivist

An adversary motivated by political, social or ideological causes.

Insider Adversary

A person with legitimate access who misuses it to harm an organization.

Cyberterrorist

An adversary who targets critical infrastructure to cause widespread disruption or fear.

Transnational (cyber)Criminal Organization

A skilled cybercriminal group operating across many countries, usually for financial gain.

Cyberattack Lifecycle

The sequence of phases adversaries use to carry out cyberattacks.

Reconnaissance

The phase where adversaries gather information about a target before attacking.

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)

Publicly available information collected from sources such as websites, social media and reports.

Initial Access

The phase where an adversary gains a first foothold in a system or network.

Persistence

Methods adversaries use to keep long-term access to compromised systems.

Lateral Movement

Expanding access to additional systems or accounts within a network.

Escalation

Gaining higher levels of access or privileges within a system.

Data Exfiltration

Stealing and removing sensitive data from a compromised system.

Ransomware

Malware that encrypts files or systems and demands payment for recovery.

Evading Detection

Attempts by adversaries to hide evidence of malicious activity.

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)

A skilled adversary that maintains long-term unauthorized access to a target system.

Six stages of a cyberattack

Reconnaissance, Initial access, persistence, lateral movement, taking action, evading detection.

Risk Assessment

The process of identifying, analyzing and prioritizing threats to organizational assets.

Asset

Anything valuable to an organization, including money, data, systems and reputation.

Threat

A potential danger that could exploit a vulnerability to harm an asset.

Vulnerability

A weakness in a system or process that a threat could exploit.

Risk

The chance that a threat uses a vulnerability to compromise an asset. Remove any one of the three, and the risk disappears.

Likelihood

The probability that a specific vulnerability will be exploited.

Impact

The severity of damage if a threat successfully exploits a vulnerability.

Risk Matrix

A tool that combines likelihood and impact to categorize and prioritize risks.

Residual Risk

The risk that remains after mitigation measures and controls are applied.

Risk Avoidance

Eliminating the activity that generates the risk.

Risk Transference

Shifting responsibility for a risk to another party, such as through insurance or outsourcing.

Risk Mitigation

Implementing controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk.

Risk Acceptance

Acknowledging and accepting residual risk, often for cost-benefit reasons.

Cost-effectiveness

Judging a security measure so its cost stays justified relative to the expected loss.

Cyber Insurance

A form of risk transference that covers financial losses from cyber incidents.

Impact Categories

Financial cost, operational impact, and reputational impact.

Preventative Controls

Controls designed to stop attacks before they happen.

Detective Controls

Controls designed to spot attacks as they occur.

Corrective Controls

Controls designed to fix problems and restore normal operations after an attack.

Security Control

A tool or mechanism that carries out a risk mitigation strategy to protect systems and data.

CIA Triad

The core principles of cybersecurity: Confidentiality (only authorized access to data), Integrity (data is accurate and unaltered), and Availability (data and systems are reachable when needed).

Control Types

Physical (locks, fences, cameras, guards), technical (firewalls, encryption, antimalware, access control lists) and managerial (policies, procedures, password rules, incident response plans).

Control Functions

Preventative (stop attacks before they occur), detective (identify attacks as they happen) and corrective (fix issues after attacks).

Defense in Depth

A layered approach that applies multiple types of controls across domains so that if one fails, others provide backup protection.

Layered Security Domains

The human, physical, network, device, application and data layers.

Physical Attack

An attempt to gain unauthorized access to facilities, devices, or information through non-digital means.

Piggybacking

Using persuasion or deception to convince an authorized person to grant access.

Tailgating

Following an authorized person through a secure access point without permission.

Shoulder Surfing

Observing sensitive information directly or from a distance to gain unauthorized knowledge.

Dumpster Diving

Searching discarded materials to obtain sensitive information.

Card Cloning

Copying an access card or badge to gain unauthorized physical access.

Unauthorized Access

Entry into restricted areas, systems, or information by an attacker without permission.

Procedural Weakness

A flaw in security processes that can be exploited to gain access.

Physical Threat

A risk from the physical environment or human actions that can damage systems, data, or operations.

Human Adversary

A person with malicious intent who aims to compromise physical or digital assets.

Natural Disaster

An uncontrollable event such as an earthquake, flood, fire, or severe weather that disrupts operations and damages physical systems.

Physical Vulnerability

A weakness in physical security that a threat actor can exploit.

Power Disruption

An interruption of electrical supply that can block access to systems or services.

Availability

A core principle of cybersecurity that keeps systems and data accessible to authorized users when needed.

Confidentiality

Keeping sensitive information accessible only to authorized individuals.

Direct Physical Access

Physical proximity to devices or ports that allows manipulation, theft, or unauthorized use.

Sensitive Area

A location holding valuable information, devices, or systems that require controlled access.

High-risk Vulnerability

A vulnerability affecting sensitive or critical assets with a high probability of exploitation and severe potential impact.

Moderate-risk Vulnerability

A vulnerability affecting noncritical assets that could be exploited to gain initial access to more sensitive systems.

Low-risk Vulnerability

A vulnerability affecting low-value assets or one unlikely to be exploited, posing minimal impact.

Mitigation

Actions or controls taken to reduce the likelihood or impact of a vulnerability.

Security Awareness Training

Programs that teach employees to identify and respond to security threats.

Badging In

Holding a secure door open for another person, which can let unauthorized people through.

Device Locking

Securing a workstation so it requires a password or other authentication when left unattended.

Clean Desk Policy

A rule requiring sensitive documents and devices to be stored securely when not in use.

Privacy Screen Filter

A screen accessory that stops onlookers from viewing sensitive information.

Surge Protector

A device that shields electronics from voltage spikes.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

A device that supplies temporary backup power for a safe shutdown or continued operation during power failures.

Generator

Equipment that provides long-term backup power for critical systems and security infrastructure.

Physical Access Control

Measures that limit and monitor who can enter a facility or restricted area.

Deterrent Control

A measure that discourages an adversary from attempting unauthorized access, such as fences or signage.

Preventative Control

A measure that physically prevents unauthorized access, such as gates, locked doors or bollards.

Detective Control

A measure that identifies and records unauthorized access, such as cameras, guards or card reader logs.

Layered Defense

Combining several control types to protect physical spaces more effectively.

Card Reader (Badge Reader)

An electronic device that authenticates credentials and authorizes entry.

Access Control Vestibule

A dual-door system that controls access to a sensitive area and blocks/prevents tailgating or unauthorized entry.

Turnstile

A mechanical or electronic device that enforces one-way access, often paired with card readers.

Audit Trail

A record of who accessed which areas and when, used for monitoring and investigation.

Biometric Scanner

A device that identifies individuals by unique physical traits, such as fingerprints or iris patterns.

Physical Security

Measures that protect facilities, systems and assets from unauthorized physical access or damage.

USB Control

Restricting or monitoring USB port use to block malware or data exfiltration.

Approved Devices

Removable media or hardware permitted under an organization's security policies.

Operational Continuity

Keeping systems, services and security operations functional during disruptions.

Risk-based Prioritization

Choosing security measures by weighing the severity of a risk against the cost of the control.

Cost-effective Control

A control that cuts risk meaningfully without excessive expense.

High-impact Control

A measure that addresses the most critical vulnerabilities and protects the most valuable assets.

Detection Control

A measure designed to identify unauthorized activity or a security breach.