As cyberattacks become more prevalent and sophisticated, businesses need to protect their systems now more than ever. They need to be familiar with cybersecurity terms such as malware, exploits, brute force attacks, and firewalls, among others. Failing to understand these concepts may result in poor cybersecurity practices that can lead to costly data breaches.
So how well do you know basic cybersecurity lingo? Take our short quiz to find out. By taking this quiz, you will become more familiar with cybersecurity concepts and be one step closer to knowing what it takes to protect your organizations against cyberattacks.
1. True or false: Computer viruses are the same as malware.
A. True
B. False
C. Unsure
Correct answer: B. False
Malware is an umbrella term for any malicious software that is specifically designed to alter or delete data, disable software and hardware, corrupt files, and deny user access. A computer virus is just one type of malware among several kinds, including rootkits, Trojan horses, worms, ransomware, botnets, and scareware.
A computer virus copies itself and spreads to other devices quickly, similar to the behavior of its biological counterpart. It may infect programs and inboxes, and may spread via infected flash drives, websites, and email attachments.
Simple viruses may damage hard disks or delete files, while complex viruses may corrupt files and websites, and even manage to remain undetected. Advanced variants called polymorphic viruses can modify their own code to evade detection by antivirus software.
2. What do you call malicious software that monitors, gathers, and sends personal information to a third party without the user's consent?
A. Stealware
B. Spybot
C. Spyware
Correct answer: C. Spyware
Most spyware aim to track and sell your internet usage data, steal personal information, or capture your credit card or bank account information. Keyloggers and password stealers are common types of spyware that capture sensitive information as you enter it into your computer, and send this information to the attacker.
Spyware can also be installed through bloatware, or software bundled with other programs. If a user installs a free application, for instance, the installer may ask the user if they want to install additional software, such as web toolbars. This offering may be enabled automatically, so users who don’t read the fine print may find the app they installed come with unwanted programs, unknowingly infecting their systems with spyware.
To protect your device from spyware, use reliable internet security solutions with powerful malware detection capabilities. Avoid using free antivirus software as much as possible, as these tend to gather data without user permission.
3. What does SSL stand for?
A. Super Security Level
B. Secure Socket Layer
C. Security Safeguard Layer
Correct answer: B. Secure Socket Layer
SSL is an important security protocol for websites, especially those that handle sensitive information. SSL ensures an encrypted connection between a browser and a server, so only the intended recipient can see the sensitive information.
To know if a website uses SSL, check if the URL starts with HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) rather than HTTP. A padlock icon in the URL indicates a secure connection, meaning that any communication between your web browser and the web site you're visiting can’t be tampered with or intercepted easily..
4. What do you call hackers who infiltrate computer networks with malicious intent?
A. Black hat hackers
B. White hat hackers
C. Gray hat hackers
Correct answer: A. Black hat hackers
There are three types of hackers: black hats, white hats, and gray hats. Black hat hackers are cybercriminals who find or develop security holes and attack methods to infiltrate systems. Once they gain access, they will steal sensitive data such as login credentials, intellectual property, and customer information.
Meanwhile, white hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, are people who hack into computer systems or networks to identify security flaws and make sure that they are properly fixed. While white hat hackers employ the same hacking methods as black hat hackers, the former has permission from the system administrator.
Gray hat hackers share similarities with both black and white hats. Like white hat hackers, they look for vulnerabilities in a system, but like black hats, they do it without the owner's consent. If gray hat hackers find any issues, they will inform the owner and may charge a small fee to fix the issue. If the owner does not respond or pay, gray hats may publish the vulnerabilities online.
5. Phishing is the practice of sending a fraudulent ________ to steal personal and financial information.
A. Snail mail
B. Email
C. Package
Correct answer: B. Email
Phishing is still one of the most dangerous cyberthreats today. In fact, after a decline in 2019, phishing attacks increased in 2020, accounting for 1 in every 4,200 emails. Google has also found 2,145,013 phishing sites as of January 2021, a 27% increase from the same period last year.
Phishing scams may also be distributed through text or voice messages.
Related reading: What should you do if your business falls for a phishing scam?
To protect your business from phishing attacks, do not open unsolicited emails or attachments. Also, ignore texts or calls that ask you to provide sensitive information or click a link to verify an online account.
How did you do?
4–5 correct answers: You know your way around cybersecurity concepts.
2–3 correct answers: You know a couple of terms, but there’s more to learn!
0–1 correct answer: You need to learn more about cybersecurity lingo.
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