Internet and Its Uses · 3 question types
Past paper frequency (2018 to 2024)
This topic accounts for approximately 8% of your exam marks.
Threats (phishing, pharming, malware, DDoS, brute-force) and the matching protection methods appear in almost every paper.
(malicious software) is any software written to damage a system, disrupt its operation, or gain unauthorised access to data.
The syllabus names seven types of malware.
| Type | What it is and how it works |
|---|---|
| Virus | Malicious code that attaches itself to a file or program and replicates when that file is run, spreading to other files and often corrupting or deleting data. It needs the user to run the infected file (an "active host") to spread |
| Worm | Self-replicating malware that spreads by itself across a network without needing to attach to a file or be run by the user, often consuming bandwidth and slowing systems as it multiplies |
| Trojan horse | Malware disguised as legitimate, harmless software that the user is tricked into installing; once run, it carries out a harmful action such as opening a back door for an attacker. It does not replicate by itself |
| Software that secretly monitors and records what the user does, such as logging keystrokes (key-logging) to capture passwords and personal details, and sends the information to the attacker |
| Adware | Software that floods the device with unwanted advertisements; some adware also tracks browsing to target the adverts, and it can slow the system and reduce privacy |
| Ransomware | Malware that encrypts the user's files and then demands a payment (a ransom) in exchange for the key needed to decrypt them, blocking access to the data until the victim pays |