Intro to Cybersecurity
On a piece of paper write down and provide an explanation for each term in red. Some can be found on this page and others you will need to Google. You will need these notes later for your final! All you need to write down is a short explanation that YOU understand.
What is cybersecurity? Basically it's the practice of protecting computers, networks, and other systems from unwanted access and other threats.
What are some types of cybersecurity threats that we all face today?
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks and encrypts a victim's data, files, devices or systems, rendering them inaccessible and unusable until the attacker receives a ransom payment.
It is often spread through phishing emails that contain malicious attachments or through drive-by downloading.Â
Malware
Malware is usually distributed through malicious websites, emails, and software. Malware can also be hidden in other files, such as image or document files, or even in seemingly innocuous files, such as .exe files.
Users can unintentionally install malware when they click on a link in a phishing email, or when they download and install software from a website that is not reputable. Malware can also be installed on a computer when the user plugs in an infected USB drive, or when the user visits a website that is infected with malware.
Types of malware can include: ransomware, trojan horse, remote access, worm, keylogger, virus, adware, rootkit, spyware
Phishing
Phishing is a form of social engineering and scam where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as ransomware. There are many types of phishing scams. They can include:
Email phishing
Whaling
SMS phishing
Vishing
Angler phishing
Clone phishing
Smishing
Google has a password manager that helps you find weaknesses in Password Manager. This can be a helpful tool to keep track of compromised passwords. What is a compromised password? That's when your information has been found in a companies data breach.
A data breach is when hackers gain access to various information from a companies database. This is why things like two-factor-authentication should always be used when available! Especially for sites that have your financial or other personal information.