Computer Science Test 1 Nddc Scholarship

In the context of information technology, an intruder is any unauthorized user who attempts to gain access to a system or network. They are most commonly referred to as hackers. While the term 'hacker' can sometimes refer to skilled programmers, in a security context, it almost always identifies individuals looking to exploit vulnerabilities for data theft or disruption.

The Domain Name System (DNS) acts like a phonebook for the internet. Humans find it easy to remember names like 'google.com,' but computers communicate using numerical labels. DNS servers perform the essential task of resolving these human-readable hostnames into the specific IP addresses required to route data packets to the correct server across the globe.

Social engineering is a core part of many cyberattacks. Attackers craft compelling or urgent subject lines—such as 'Urgent: Invoice Overdue' or 'Security Alert: Account Compromised'—to trigger an emotional response. By grabbing the user's attention in the subject line, they increase the likelihood that the victim will open the email and interact with malicious attachments or links.

When a computer is compromised, it becomes a tool for the attacker, often becoming part of a 'botnet.' Hackers use these machines to launch further attacks, steal sensitive personal data for sale on the dark web, or spread malware. Securing passwords is a defensive security measure and is the opposite of what a hacked or 'zombie' computer is used for.

Commercial software is protected by copyright law, which grants the creator exclusive rights to its use and distribution. When you purchase software, you are typically buying a license to use it, not the ownership of the code itself. Making unauthorized copies violates these legal protections and is considered a form of intellectual property theft known as piracy.

Cross-site scripting occurs when a web application includes untrusted data in a new web page without proper validation or escaping. This allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The root cause is almost always a failure in the application's code to sanitize user input, regardless of which specific browser or server software is being used.

The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is an authentication framework used frequently in network and internet connections. It provides a standard set of functions for various authentication methods, such as those used in WPA2/WPA3 enterprise wireless security. Its 'extensible' nature allows it to support different types of credentials like passwords, digital certificates, or smart cards.

Antivirus software works by maintaining a database of 'signatures,' which are unique patterns of bits associated with specific malware. The software scans the computer's files, incoming downloads, and active memory to find matches against these known patterns. If a match is found, the software isolates or deletes the file to prevent the virus from executing and causing damage.

The CIA Triad is the foundational model for information security. Confidentiality ensures that data is only accessible to authorized users; Integrity ensures that information is accurate and has not been tampered with; and Availability ensures that systems and data are accessible when needed. Every security control implemented in a network is designed to protect one or more of these principles.

A computer worm is a standalone piece of malware. Unlike a virus, which requires a host file or human intervention (like opening an email) to spread, a worm is designed to exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems to move automatically across networks. This ability to travel independently makes worms capable of spreading very rapidly and consuming massive amounts of network bandwidth.