Lock It Down

Keeping the system safe

Computer systems face many threats, so businesses and users protect them with a set of defences. Biometrics use a fingerprint or face to prove who you are. Strong password systems make guessing a login very hard. A CAPTCHA checks that a real person, not a program, is trying to log in. Email confirmations make sure a real user owns an account. Automatic software updates fix known weaknesses. The skill for the exam is to match each defence to the exact threat it is meant to stop. This module covers the main measures and how they protect a system.

Security words

Learn these before you match any defence, because the exam asks which threat each one stops.

Weak against strong passwords

A password system is only as good as the passwords it enforces. This contrast shows why strength matters.

How to match a defence to a threat

Do not just list the defences. For each one, say exactly what it stops. A check that only a person can pass keeps out automated programs. A login that uses a body feature stops someone who has only stolen a password. A long, complex login resists systems that try password after password. Keeping software patched closes weaknesses before they can be used. Pair each measure with the precise threat it defeats, and you have the answer.

Match the defence to the threat it stops

What does a CAPTCHA do?

A website adds a CAPTCHA puzzle to its sign-up form. Which job is that CAPTCHA doing?

• It checks that a real person, not an automated program, is logging in.
• It makes the website load faster.
• It patches weaknesses in the software.
• It stores all your passwords for you.

A strong password

Select the TWO features that make a password strong.

• It is long
• It mixes letters, numbers and symbols
• It is just your first name
• It is very short so it is easy to type

Compare the password lengths

A weak password is 4 characters long. A strong password is 12 characters long. Subtract to find how many more characters the strong password has. What is the answer?

Order how an update protects

Put the steps by which an automatic software update protects a system in order, earliest first.

• A weakness is found in a piece of software
• The maker releases a patch to fix it
• The update installs automatically
• The weakness is closed before attackers can use it

Complete the facts

Proving who you are with a fingerprint or face is _____. A test that tells a human apart from an automated program is a _____. Fixing known weaknesses in software is done by automatic _____. The best defence against guessing a login is a long, strong _____.

Match the defence to what it is

Spot the true security facts

Tap the TWO statements that are true about cyber-security measures.

• A CAPTCHA helps block automated programs
• Automatic updates patch known weaknesses
• A short common password is very secure
• Software updates make no difference to security

Choose the defence

Read each threat and choose the best defence.

• An attacker has stolen a user password and tries to log in as them. Which defence would still block them?
• A website is being flooded by automated programs creating fake sign-ups. Which defence fits best?
• A known weakness in a program is being used by attackers around the world. What is the best defence?

Explain how to secure a system

Explain the main methods used to prevent cyber-security threats, matching each measure to the threat it counters.

• Explain how biometrics protect against a stolen password
• Explain how a strong password system resists guessing
• Explain what a CAPTCHA is for
• Explain how automatic software updates protect a system