One attack on a reporting team
A team of analysts is attacked. What does it lose?
The customer table leaks. A stranger gets into the data warehouse (a big store of data kept for analysis). Sales figures are changed. The dashboard (a screen of live charts) goes down. A thief walks into the drive room.
Each of these is a different harm. Today you learn to tell them apart.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Impact | The harm that a threat does. | |
| Leak | Private data gets out to people who should not see it. | |
| Sensitive data | Data that would cause harm if it got out. | |
| Corruption | Data that has been damaged or changed so it is wrong. | |
| Disruption | Work that is stopped or slowed down. | |
| Restricted area | A place that only some people may enter. | a server room |
| Unauthorised access | Getting in without permission. | |
| Data warehouse | A big store of data kept for analysis. | |
| Network | Computers joined together so they can share data. | |
| Malware | Harmful software. | |
| Phishing | A fake message that tricks you into giving away data. | |
| Ransomware | Malware that locks files and demands money. | |
| Downtime | The time a system is not working. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can match a threat or weakness to the impact it has on an organisation.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Five impacts to know
1. Loss or leaking of sensitive data. Private information gets out or is lost.
2. Unauthorised access to digital systems. A stranger is inside the network or an account.
3. Data corruption. Data is changed or damaged, so it is wrong.
4. Disruption of service. The system is down, so work stops.
5. Unauthorised access to restricted physical areas. Someone enters a room they should not.
Worked example: which threat causes which impact
| Threat or weakness | Likely impact |
|---|---|
| Phishing steals a password | Unauthorised access to digital systems |
| Spyware on an analyst laptop | Leaking of sensitive data |
| Malware that changes a results table | Data corruption |
| DDoS attack on the dashboard site | Disruption of service |
| Ransomware | Disruption of service, and often a data leak |
| Tailgating into the drive room | Unauthorised access to a restricted physical area |
| A flood in the server room | Disruption of service, and lost data |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: which impact?
Have a go
Check: which impact?
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.