The old lock on a new shop
A shop has a new door with a strong lock. But the back window has no lock at all, and it has been open for ten years.
A thief does not use the strong door. The thief uses the weak point.
Computer systems have weak points too. Today you find them.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability | A weak point that an attacker can use. | a door with no lock |
| Threat | Something that could use a weak point to cause harm. | a hacker |
| Encryption | Changing data into a secret code. Only the right key can read it. | a locked message |
| Password policy | The rules for passwords in an organisation. | at least 12 characters |
| MFA | Multi-factor authentication (proving who you are in two or more ways). | a password plus a phone code |
| Patch | A small update that fixes a weak point. | a phone update |
| Legacy system | An old system that is still used. | a shop cash machine from 15 years ago |
| Zero-day | A weak point that the maker does not know about yet, so there is no fix. The maker has had zero days. | a new weak point |
| Router | The box that connects your devices to the internet. | the box at home |
| Network | Computers and devices that are linked together. | a school network |
| Firmware | Software built into a device, such as a router. | the code inside a smart TV |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: threat or weak point?
Have a go
Quick check: threat or weak point?
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Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Two groups of weak points
| Group | Example | Why it is a weak point |
|---|---|---|
| Poor security processes | Weak encryption | Old or short secret codes can be broken |
| Poor security processes | Poor password policy | People pick short, easy passwords |
| Poor security processes | No MFA | A stolen password is enough to get in |
| Out-of-date parts | Old hardware | It cannot run new security software |
| Out-of-date parts | Old software | The maker no longer fixes it |
| Out-of-date parts | Old firmware | A router with old code has known weak points |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Why not just update?
data-callouts.note.label
Sometimes an update breaks an old program that the business needs. A factory machine may run on old software for years. Then the old system is a weak point that must be protected in other ways.
Try it: test a password
password = "Bus2"
problems = 0
if len(password) < 10:
print("Too short")
problems = problems + 1
has_digit = False
for letter in password:
if letter.isdigit():
has_digit = True
if not has_digit:
print("No digit")
problems = problems + 1
if password.lower() == password:
print("No capital letter")
problems = problems + 1
if problems == 0:
print("Looks fine")
# Change the password to BlueBus2026Eats and run it again.