1.

Describe four strategies that you could use to minimise the dangers of using social networking
sites to make new friends.
Any four from:

Know how to block and report unwanted users,

Never arrange to meet anyone alone

Always meet in a public place

Avoid giving your address

2. Complete the following sentences.

The action of sending emails to fraudulently obtain another person’s bank details is called

(a) .......................................................Phishing....................................................... [1]

The action of illegally installing malicious code which redirects a person to a fraudulent website with
the purpose of obtaining that person’s bank details is called
(b) ....................................................Pharming.................................................................... [1]

(c) Unsolicited bulk emails are

called ................................................Spam.............................................................................. [1]

The action of sending text messages to fraudulently obtain another person’s bank details is called
(d) .....................................................Smishing..................................................................... [1]

3. John is working on a school History project and saves his work. He is told by one of his teachers
that the school network has been infected by a computer virus.
(a) Explain what is meant by a computer virus and give examples of how a computer virus can affect
a computer.
Max two from:
A virus is a piece of software/program code that infects a computer
…attaches itself to files
…and has the ability to replicate itself.

Max three from:

Causes computer to crash/shut down It can delete/corrupt data/files
Causes the computer operations to run slowly/become unusable
Makes software/OS unusable

(b) John copies his History project from the school network onto his home computer using a pen
drive. There are many ways his home computer can become infected by a computer virus.
Describe three ways in which John could protect his home computer from being infected.
 Three from:
Scan the pen-drive as it is inserted into his computer
Use an anti-virus software to scan his computer hard drive
Do not use media from an unknown source

( c) The computer virus has attached itself to a file that John does not want to delete. Describe what
John should do to remove the threat of the computer virus infecting other files

Two from:
Identify the virus using anti-virus software/scan the file
Delete the virus/clean/disinfect the file

4. A teacher is allowing her students to use the internet, including emails, to find information for a
Geography project.
(a) Describe three strategies that students should use to stay safe when on the World Wide Web.

Three from:
Only use websites recommended by the teacher
Only use websites ending in .gov, .ac, .org, .edu
Use a learner friendly search engine
(b) Describe three strategies that students should use to stay safe when sending and receiving
emails.

Three from:
Only email people already known to you/do not reply to spam emails
Never use personal details in emails
Scan all attachments before downloading them/do not open attachments from unknown people

5. There are several security issues surrounding the use of smartphones. These include smishing
and pharming.
(a) Describe different security measures that can be put into place to stop smishing or
pharming attacks.
Smishing
One from:
Never respond to any of these types of texts
Never click on any links within the text message

Pharming:
One from:
Check address bar for strange web addresses
Use up to date firewall services on DNS servers

(b) Cookies are sometimes seen as a security threat when in reality they are only a nuisance.
 Explain, using an example, what cookies are and why they are important to companies.

One from:
A small text file sent/downloaded to a user’s web browser when they visit a web site [1]
Two from:
Remember the user’s details
Remember items a user bought
Remember passwords

6. Sukhjit has just discovered a large amount of spam emails in her inbox and is worried it may be a
phishing attempt.
(a) Explain some other dangers of opening spam emails.
Any three from:
Spam email may contain viruses/spyware/malware/key loggers…
… an example of what viruses/spyware/malware/key loggers/pharming can do
If you open and reply to spam emails then the spammer knows the email address is active
Spam can fill up the inbox
(b) Spam is sometimes associated with phishing emails.
Describe how Sukhjit would recognise a phishing email

Any four from:

Might contain grammar/spelling mistakes
Check if the message is asking for personal information
Might contain unexpected attachments
Urgent/too good to be true

7. Dhanesh has accidentally downloaded a file containing a virus.

(a) Describe the possible effects on Dhanesh’s computer system if he opens the file.

Any two from:

Causes computer to crash It can delete/corrupt data
Causes the computer operations/system/processes to run slowly/become unusable Makes
software/OS unusable

(b) Describe how Dhanesh can help prevent his computer from downloading viruses from the
internet.

Any three from:

Run up to date anti-virus software/Install anti-virus software
Do not download files/attachments from email addresses that you do not recognise
Check/scan attachments to emails for viruses
8. Key-loggers are thought to be security risks but they can be used to monitor and track the use of
employees on a computer system.
(a) Describe how a key-logger monitors computer usage.

Any two from:

− A key-logger records the key strokes of a person using the computer
− Transfers / transmits the data back to the supervisor / manager
− The supervisor can then monitor what the employee has been doing / how hard they
have been working

(b) A small minority of employees in a company have been using the computers for non-
business use, so the company has had to introduce other methods of monitoring their use of
ICT.
Apart from key-logging list three other ways that employees could be monitored in their use
of ICT.

Any three from:

− Monitoring emails
− Monitoring the time spent on and websites visited
− Monitoring when employees log in / log out

9. Describe how security can be improved in a WiFi network

Any two from:

Secure the wireless router/network with a strong password
Change from the default SSID
Use MAC address filtering/change the router IP address

10. Discuss the effectiveness of different methods which could be used to prevent unauthorised
access to a laptop computer

Examples of reliability of methods

User id and Password will…
…prevent users who do not know the password from gaining access
…will reject users who try to guess passwords (usually after 3 attempts)
Strong passwords using a mixture of alphabetic, alphanumeric and special characters…
…will be difficult to guess
Biometrics are unique and are almost impossible to duplicate…
…only the user who has those characteristics can access the laptop
Using biometrics means that passwords don’t have to be remembered
Laptops can now come with fingerprint scanner
Laptops can have built in retina identification

Examples of lack of reliability

Strong passwords can be difficult to remember
…can be easily forgotten
…can be easily disclosed to any user
Software for retina scan can malfunction
User can have fingerprints affected by injury/cut on a finger
Laptops with this technology tend to cost more
Low cost fingerprint technology tends to be inaccurate
Fingerprints can be copied by expert thieves

To be marked as a level of response:

Level 3 (7–8 marks)
Candidates will describe in detail the reliability and unreliability of at least two methods of
preventing unauthorised access to data. Examples will be given and will be appropriate. The
information will be relevant, clear, organised and presented in a structured and coherent
format. Specialist terms will be used correctly and appropriately.