Checking Communications — Cyber Security | IGCSE Computer Science

Exam Frequency Analysis

Past paper frequency (2018 to 2024)

This topic accounts for approximately 8% of your exam marks.

increasing

Low

Increasing8%

Threats (phishing, pharming, malware, DDoS, brute-force) and the matching protection methods appear in almost every paper.

Carefully checking messages and links helps the user spot phishing and other fraudulent communications before acting on them.

Checking the spelling and tone of a communication. Genuine organisations rarely send messages full of spelling and grammar mistakes, and they do not usually use a threatening or unusually urgent tone. Poor spelling and pressure to act immediately are warning signs of a phishing attempt.
Checking the URL attached to a link. Hovering over a link reveals the real web address it points to. If the URL does not match the organisation it claims to be from, or uses a misspelled or unusual domain name, the link should not be clicked.