Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Holborow, and welcome to Computing.

I'm so pleased you've decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, we'll be exploring potential threats to networks and the different forms of attacks that can happen on networks.

This lesson is called "Threats to networks." And by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to identify potential threats to a network and explain the different types of network attacks.

We will be exploring these keywords in today's lesson.

Let's have a look at them now.

Social engineering.

Social engineering.

Techniques used to trick users into giving away personal information by manipulating their behaviour or emotions.

Malware.

Malware.

Malicious software designed to cause damage to computer systems, corrupt or change files, steal data, or cause disruption to services.

Look out for these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Today's lesson is broken down into two parts.

We'll start by explaining potential threats to networks and then we'll move on to explain different forms of attack on networks.

Let's make a start by explaining potential threats to a network.

A network threat is anything that can damage or disrupt a network.

Threats can come from people or from natural events.

So, for example, things like floods or hurricane damage.

Some threats affect performance, so they might slow a network down, while others affect security or risk data loss.

Potential threats to networks may involve non-automated methods, where physical techniques are used to gain access.

There are lots of technical ways to try and keep data safe and secure.

Human error is one of the most common causes of data breaches.

Social engineering is a set of methods used by cybercriminals to deceive individuals into handing over information that they can then use for fraudulent purposes.

Social engineering is different from other cybercrimes because it involves humans trying to trick or manipulate other humans.

Time to check your understanding.

I have a true-or-false statement for you here.

It's unusual for human error to lead to data being compromised.

Is this true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Unfortunately, this is false.

Human error arguably creates the largest risk of the data being compromised.

Blagging, which is also known as pretexting, is when the attacker creates a believable scenario to trick someone into giving away sensitive information such as a network password.

The attacker might pretend to be from the IT department and ask a staff member to "confirm" their login credentials to fix an issue.

If successful, this gives the attacker access to the network.

So, you can see here we've got a sample email which says, "Dear name, We've identified a problem with your staff account.

Please reply with your username and password so we can verify and reset your access.

Kind regards, Jacob, the IT Support Team." This may well trick a user into sending these details, especially if the name from the IT department is accurate.

Phishing is when attackers send fake emails or messages to trick users into clicking links or giving away information.

These links may lead to fake login pages, allowing the attacker to steal network credentials and gain unauthorised access to shared systems or data.

Let's have a look at some features of a phishing email.

So, we can see at the top, we have a fake bank logo.

We have an impersonal greeting, so we don't actually have the person's name.

There's no account information provided in the email.

There's a sense of urgency, and some scare tactics are being used here.

So it says, "don't be alarmed but take immediate action!" The domain name is misspelt.

So, "loydsbank.

com" instead of "lloydsbank" with the double L at the start.

We've got some incorrect use of English.

So, "belief" instead of "believe" and "Thanks you" instead of "Thank you." It's important to check emails carefully to see if you can spot these kind of errors before simply just replying.

Shouldering is when an attacker watches someone enter sensitive information, like a password.

This could happen in a shared workspace, letting the attacker access a secure network.

It's a simple but effective way of stealing login details without needing to break into systems. An example of shouldering is when a sixth-form student enters their password on a library computer.

Someone behind them watches carefully and memorises the login.

Later, the person uses the password to log in and send inappropriate messages from their account.

Name generator attacks trick users into sharing personal details by offering fun games like combining your pet's name with your birth year.

These details can help attackers answer security questions to gain unauthorised access to a network.

A name generator attack can also be used when an attacker uses publicly available personal information to bypass account security.

They can use security question answers found in old social media posts, like a pet's name or a mother's maiden name, to reset email passwords.

Tailgating happens when someone gains physical access to a secure building by following an authorised person.

Carrying a delivery box, they walk in without using a keycard, relying on the employee not to challenge them.

Eavesdropping is when an attacker listens in on private conversations.

Tailgating and eavesdropping can help both attackers access secure areas or devices connected to a network, putting sensitive data at risk.

A pharming attack is when a victim is tricked into visiting a fake version of a real website, such as a bank or shopping site, and entering their personal details.

It can happen if a hacker changes the way the network finds websites, so the users are redirected to a bogus site even if they have the correct web address.

The site looks identical to the real one, so the user enters their username and password, which are then stolen.

Time to check your understanding.

I have a question for you.

Which social engineering attack involves inventing a false scenario to trick a victim into giving away data or money? Is it A, blagging? B, shouldering? Or C, tailgating? Pause the video whilst you think about your answer.

Did you select A, blagging? Well done.

Okay, we're moving on to our first task of today's lesson, Task A.

For part one, I'd like you to explain what is social engineering? And then for part two, I'd like you to choose two potential threats to networks and explain how each one works.

Pause the video here whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with the tasks? Did you manage to answer the questions? Well done.

Let's have a look at some sample answers together.

For part one, you were asked, what is social engineering? Social engineering is a set of methods used by cybercriminals to deceive individuals into handing over information that they can use for fraudulent purposes.

For part two, you were asked to choose two potential threats to networks and explain how each one works.

The two we've chosen here are pharming and eavesdropping, but you may have chosen some others, and that's absolutely fine.

Pharming redirects victims to a fake website, even if the victim has typed in the correct web address.

This is often used for websites like banks or online shops, to trick people into giving up their login details.

Eavesdropping involves an attacker being physically present to secretly listen in on confidential conversations, with the aim of gathering sensitive information.

Did you have some similar responses? Remember, if you want to pause the video here and add any detail to your answers, you can do that now.

So, we've explained potential threats to networks.

Let's now move on to explain different forms of attack on networks.

Some network attacks use automated methods to gain access or cause damage.

These attacks may start with non-automated steps, such as gaining physical access to a device or network.

Once access is gained, automated tools can be used to carry out specific types of attacks quickly and repeatedly.

Malware is software designed to harm a device or network.

It can be used to steal data, disable systems, show unwanted adverts, send spam, or demand money.

Once inside a network, malware can spread quickly and can affect many users.

Categories of malware include viruses, trojans, worms, adware, spyware, and ransomware.

Have you heard of any of these before? Viruses are self-replicating malicious programmes.

Once on a device or network, they attach themselves to documents or software and spread when a file is opened.

They can corrupt data, slow down systems, or disrupt network services by spreading across connected machines.

For example, a student downloads a free PDF converter from an unofficial website.

The file contains a virus that spreads to other computers in the network by attaching itself to documents.

IT staff have to isolate the infected machines and reinstall the software.

This could be really disruptive to the college or other students.

Time to check your understanding.

I have a true-or-false statement for you.

Some network attacks that use automated methods may start with non-automated steps.

Is this true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Did you say true? Well done.

Why is it true? Attacks may start with non-automated steps such as gaining physical access to a device or network.

Worms are malicious programmes that spread through networks without attaching to files.

Unlike viruses, worms replicate independently and can spread automatically through a network without being opened by a user.

They can slow down a network by consuming bandwidth and system resources.

The main threat of worms is the disruption they cause to the performance of connected devices and network traffic.

Let's have a look at this example.

A worm infects a network by exploiting a flaw in Windows.

It spreads to every computer without any help from users, slowing down the entire system and causing serious disruption.

Trojan software tricks users by hiding harmful code inside something that seems safe or helpful, allowing attackers to harm their devices and networks.

It may open a back door for remote control, risking data theft or network breaches.

Trojan software is named after the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology.

The Trojan Horse was a trick in the Trojan War where Greeks hid soldiers inside a wooden horse that they sent to their enemies.

The Trojans accepted it, unknowingly letting the enemies in.

Ransomware is malware that spreads like a virus by exploiting security weaknesses in software or operating systems. Once inside, it locks or encrypts data and demands payment to restore access, putting networks and users at serious risk.

In 2017, a ransomware attack called WannaCry hit NHS hospitals across the UK.

Patient records became inaccessible and many appointments were cancelled.

The attack spread quickly through outdated systems. It showed the importance of updating software and having backup systems. Spyware secretly collects information about users and their computer activity.

Some spyware shows unwanted ads.

More dangerous types, like keyloggers, record every keystroke a user makes, which can be used to detect things like username and passwords.

This stolen data can be used to breach network security or steal personal information.

An example of spyware is when a student instals a free browser toolbar.

It turns out to be spyware that records their keystrokes and sends login details to hackers.

Their email and social media accounts are then accessed without permission.

Adware is software that displays ads within an application.

While often harmless and used as a way to fund free software, some adware can collect user data without consent, potentially risking privacy and network security.

Denial-of-service, or DoS, are attacks that flood a network or website with excessive requests, overloading the system and stopping it from working.

This stops legitimate users from accessing the service, causing disruption and security risks to a network.

Distributed denial-of-service attacks, or DDoS, use many infected computers to flood a network or website with requests.

This makes it harder to block the attack or identify the attackers, increasing the risk of network disruption and security breaches.

An example of a distributed denial-of-service attack, DDoS, is when a school's website goes down during exam season.

Thousands of fake users overwhelm the server, and students cannot access revision resources or homework platforms until the attack stops.

A brute-force attack tries many password combinations to gain unauthorised access to a network or account.

It can take time but it is effective if passwords are weak, highlighting the importance of strong passwords and security measures to protect networks from such attacks.

This is why your school or college might have set password requirements which encourage you to set strong passwords, which are harder to guess or break.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I have a question for you.

Which type of malicious software appears to be a useful programme but secretly performs harmful actions? Is it A, a worm? B, a trojan? Or C, ransomware? Pause the video whilst you have a think about your answer.

Did you select B, a trojan? Well done.

Remember, it's named after the Trojan Horse, where the soldiers hid inside.

Okay, we're moving on to our Task B for today's lesson.

I'd like you to explain what automated network attacks are.

Describe three different forms of such attacks, making sure to include A, one type of software designed to cause harm, B, one type that tries to stop a service from working, and C, one type that tries repeatedly to guess information.

Pause the video whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with the task? Did you manage to come up with three different forms of attack? Well done.

Let's have a look at some sample answers together.

So, for part one, you were asked to explain what automated network attacks are.

Automated network attacks are methods that use computer programmes to cause damage or gain unauthorised access quickly and repeatedly.

These attacks may sometimes start with non-automated steps, like gaining physical access, before automated tools take over.

For part A, you were asked for one type of software designed to cause harm.

A trojan is a piece of software that looks as if it does something useful, like a game or a tool.

However, it secretly also performs harmful actions such as opening a back door to let an attacker control your computer remotely.

It's named after the story of the Trojan Horse.

For part B, you were asked to give one type that tries to stop a service from working.

A denial-of-service attack, DoS, is a cyberattack where criminals make a network resource, like a website, unavailable to its real users.

They do this by flooding the system with so many requests that it gets overloaded and stops working properly.

And then finally, for part C, you were asked to give one type that tries to guess information repeatedly.

A brute-force attack is a form of attack that makes many attempts to discover something, usually a password.

The attacker's computer automatically tries every possible combination until it finds the correct one.

Did you have some similar examples? Remember, if you need to, you can always pause the video here and add any details or corrections to your answers.

Okay, we've come to the end of today's lesson, "Threats to networks," and you've done a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's summarise what we've learned together in this lesson.

Networks face a range of potential threats that can compromise their security and performance.

These network attacks can take various forms, each employing specific techniques.

For example, social engineering exploits human trust to gain access, while malware refers to malicious software designed to disrupt or gain unauthorised access.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson and I hope you'll join me again soon.

Bye!.