ethical hacking chapt3

Adware

Software that displays unwanted advertisements and may track user activity.

Attack

Any attempt to gain unauthorized access, disrupt, or harm a system or network.

Backdoor

A hidden entry point in software that allows unauthorized access to a system.

Botnet

A network of compromised computers (zombies) controlled remotely to perform malicious activities.

Buffer Overflow Attack

An attack that exploits programming flaws by overflowing a memory buffer, potentially allowing an attacker to execute malicious code.

Computer Security

The practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from cyber threats.

Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack

An attack that floods a system with traffic, making it unavailable to legitimate users.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack

A DoS attack performed using multiple compromised computers (botnet) to amplify the attack.

Exploit

A piece of code or technique used to take advantage of a vulnerability in a system.

Keyloggers

Malware that records keystrokes to steal sensitive information, such as passwords.

Macro Virus

A virus that infects documents and spreads through macros in programs like Microsoft Word or Excel.

Malware

Malicious software designed to harm, exploit, or disable computers and networks.

Network Security

The practice of protecting networks from unauthorized access, attacks, and vulnerabilities.

Ping of Death Attack

A type of DoS attack that sends oversized or malformed packets to crash a system.

Ransomware

Malware that encrypts files and demands payment (ransom) to restore access.

Rootkit

A stealthy type of malware that hides deep in the system to maintain persistent access.

Shell

A command-line interface that allows users to interact with an operating system.

Spyware

Malware that secretly gathers information about a user and sends it to a third party.

Trojan Program

Malware that disguises itself as legitimate software but performs malicious activities once executed.

Virus

A malicious program that replicates itself and spreads by attaching to files or software.

Virus Signature File

A database of known virus patterns used by antivirus software to detect threats.

Vulnerability

A security flaw or weakness that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access.

Whitelisting

A security measure that allows only approved applications or users to access a system.

Worm

A self-replicating malware that spreads across networks without user interaction.

Zombies

Infected computers in a botnet that execute commands from an attacker without the owner's knowledge.