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.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is a security protocol that encrypts data sent between a web browser and a web server, so that intercepted data cannot be read.
When a browser connects to a secure site, the browser and server carry out an SSL handshake: they confirm each other's identity and agree on the keys used to encrypt the session. After the handshake, all data passing between them is encrypted, so even if it is intercepted it is meaningless to the attacker. A site protected by SSL shows https and a padlock symbol in the address bar. SSL is what makes activities such as online banking and shopping safe to carry out over the public internet.