Protecting digital systems and data

Overview

Anti-malware software, encryption, plaintext and ciphertext, acceptable use policies, full and incremental backups, off-site storage and recovery procedures.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   How does anti-malware software protect against infection?

   Model answer

   Anti-malware software scans files and downloads for known malware and quarantines or removes it. Some anti-malware also watches programs for suspicious behaviour.

2. 2

   Why must anti-malware software be updated regularly?

   Model answer

   New malware appears every day. Updates add the latest threats to the list the software checks against.

3. 3

   What is encryption?

   Model answer

   Encryption scrambles data using a key so that only someone with the right key can read it. Encrypted data is useless to anyone who intercepts or steals it.

4. 4

   How does encryption protect the data on a stolen laptop?

   Model answer

   The files on an encrypted drive cannot be read without the key or password. A thief who takes the laptop cannot open the data.

5. 5

   What are plaintext and ciphertext?

   Model answer

   Plaintext is readable data before it is encrypted. Ciphertext is the scrambled data that encryption produces.

6. 6

   What is an acceptable use policy?

   Model answer

   An acceptable use policy is a set of rules stating how staff or students may use an organisation's computers and network. Users usually agree to it before they are given access.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.