Methods of Preventing Cyber Security Threats (AQA GCSE Computer Science)

What is penetration testing?

• Penetration testing is the process of attempting to gain access to resources without knowledge of usernames, passwords and other normal means of access
• A company will employ penetration testers to test a networks security and use any information gained to to fix any issues that are found
• There are two main types of penetration testing:
  • Malicious insider
  • External attack

Malicious insider (white-box)

• When the person or team testing the system has knowledge of and possibly basic credentials for the target system, simulating an attack from inside the system

External attack

• When the person or team testing the system has no knowledge of any credentials for the target system, simulating an attack from outside the system

What are biometric measures?

• Biometric measures are an individuals personal characteristics used to identify them, such as
  • Fingerprints
  • Iris/retina scans (eyes)
  • Voice recognition
• Biometrics provide a very secure method of confirming a users identity before allowing access/permission to a computer system
• Biometric measures are often used on mobile devices to provide secure access

What is a CAPCHA?

• A CAPCHA is a method of testing if a website request originates from a human or a machine (bot)
• Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers & Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) examples include:
  • Text - Asking users to enter characters from a distorted text box, users would need to decipher the characters and enter them in a designated box
  • Image - A grid of images, a user would be asked to select all those that contain a specific object
  • Checkbox - A simple checkbox appears asking the user to confirm they are not a robot 
• A CAPTCHA can be used to prevent spam and protect logins

How can you confirm identity?

• One method of confirming the identity of a user is to email a link to check that they are using a valid and working email address
• A user does not get access to a service/website until the check is complete
• This type of check can be carried out using SMS in the same way

What are automatic software updates?

• Automatic software updates take away the need for a user to remember to keep software updated and reduce the risk of software flaws/vulnerabilities being targeted in out of date software
• Automatic updates ensure fast deployment of updates as they release