BTEC

2012
Unit 1 The Online World

Name: .

Lesson 12 Possible Threats to Data

(Student Book C Pg 1 - 4)

Starter What is malware?

Malware is any type of virus or other malicious program/file which seeks to cause disruption or damage
to data and/or extract important and personal information.

Malicious Threats

Opportunist

Virus

Threats to data

Trojan

Phishing

1. Explain what each of the following threats are:

a. Opportunist
A person who may come across a computer which has not been logged off and tries to access
information
b. Viruses

A file or program with an aim to extract your information and personal details or destroy it.
c. Phishing

Sending fake emails that appear to be from known companies so that people enter their personal
details.
2. What is considered accidental damage?
Damage caused by a natural disaster, mischief or any kind of mishap.

A.Silver

BTEC 2012
Unit 1 The Online World

Name: .

Computer security is an important aspect of online communication however all computer systems are
under continuous threat of attack and the threats are ever changing. It is impossible to provide 100%
protection to a computer system.
3. What are the possible consequences of an attack?
a.

Loss of any important data which may include that of customers which in turn will lose the company
money.

b. A website which was previously considered to be safe will lose its reputation and may lose custom or
traffic.
c. If your identity is stolen it may prevent you from taking out loans.
d. If company secrets are released they may no longer have an advantage over competitors.
4. It is important to protect computer systems and their data. Match the following preventative actions to
the correct description.
Physical Barrier
Passwords

Access Levels

Anti-virus Software

Firewall

Encryption

This is set up to intercept computer viruses before they can

become resident on the computer. The software can isolate
the virus, remove it and sometimes repair any damage.
These can be set up to allow individuals to have access to
only specific levels of an application and to prevent
unauthorized users from accessing particular data.
This is used to codify data so that it cannot be read by
anyone who does not have the key to the code. An
algorithm, sometimes known as a cipher, is applied to the
data at the transmission end and the reverse is applied at
the reception end.
This is a piece of software that monitors all data arriving at
your computer from the internet and all data leaving your
computer. It stops anything that it thinks is harmful or
unwanted (such as viruses, spam, Trojan horses and
hackers).
These include turning off computers and locking offices
when the systems are unattended to prevent damage by
people, the environment (e.g. fire, flooding, electrical
interference) or theft.
Sequences of characters, known only to the computer user
allow access to a computer, network or application

Backup and recovery. Making a backup of data is the only way of recovering from a total data
disaster. Many individuals and organizations back up data to Flash solid state storage devices
or magnetic tape at night. The tapes are stored safely in a separate place, so that they are not
destroyed by any disaster, which could destroy the master system (fire, earthquake, etc.).
5. What are the different types of backups available?
Full back up- Backs up every file and folder which can be slower to back up but much faster

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BTEC 2012
Unit 1 The Online World

Name: .

when restoring and safer if something goes wrong.

Incremental Back up- A back up of all changes made since last back up which takes much
less time to perform and uses less space however it takes longer to restore data.
Differential back up- A back up of all changes since the last full back up.
Mirror back up- An exact copy of the source which mirrors all changes made
Full PC or Full Computer Back up- The entire image of the computers hard drive is backed up
which can include drivers and program files.
Offsite Back up- Placing the backup physically in a different location to the data it came from.
Online or Cloud Back up- Back up constantly sends changes to an online back up where it
can be accessed from the cloud.
Remote Back ups- An offsite back up that can be administered and restored from another
location.
FTP- The back up is performed via FTP

The dangers of identity theft and of revealing too much personal information on
social networks and via instant messaging are often reported in the news.
These threats can affect both your security and your reputation. Think about who has access
to the information you put online. Before you put photos on your social networking profile,
think about who might see them and whether you would mind. You might not want your
employer or teacher to see something that might be embarrassing or harmful to your
reputation.
Use security settings to protect your privacy and identity. Remember that not everyone is who
they claim to be. Criminals access social networking sites trying to find out information about
people. This may put you at risk of identity theft and password theft if you have revealed too
much information about yourself. Be careful not to reveal information that you might use in a
password, such as your pets name.
6. What is identity theft?
Identity theft is when someone takes and adopts your personal details and either uses them to their
advantage or pretends to be you.
7. How can you help prevent identify theft?
Look after your personal details and do not share them with anyone you do not trust. Only fill out forms
for official websites and do not attempt to login or sign up to suspicious websites. Also make sure that
people are who they say they are before telling them about themselves.

Plenary What is the Data Protection Act?

A law designed to protect computers users personal details

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