The default password nobody changed
A new Wi-Fi box arrives. Its password is "admin". Nobody changes it. A week later a stranger signs in and changes its settings.
Controls made of software and rules prevent a lot of harm. Today you meet the technical and procedural kinds.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Technical control | A safeguard made by technology. |
| Procedural control | A safeguard made of rules and routines for people. |
| Firewall | A control that allows or blocks traffic by rule. |
| Allow list | A list of what is permitted. Everything else is refused. |
| Deny list | A list of what is refused. Everything else is allowed. |
| Sandbox | A sealed space where software can run without touching the rest of the system. |
| Device hardening | Making a device safer with updates and safe settings. |
| Separation of duties | Splitting a job so no one person can cause harm alone. |
| RBAC | Role-based access control: rights given by a person's job. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can describe firewalls, allow and deny lists, sandboxing, device hardening, separation of duties and RBAC as preventative controls.
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.
Technical controls: firewalls and lists
A firewall allows or blocks traffic by rule.
Allow and deny control lists do the same for names, addresses or apps. An allow list permits only what it names. A deny list blocks only what it names. Allow lists are stricter. They block the unknown too.
Technical controls: sandboxing
A sandbox is a sealed space. A suspicious file runs inside it, where it cannot touch the real system.
If the file is harmful, the harm stays in the box. Security tools often use sandboxes to test email attachments safely.
Technical controls: device hardening
Device hardening has six steps.
- Change default passwords.
- Set correct permissions on files and services.
- Apply updates and fixes.
- Remove unneeded software.
- Apply security policies.
- Disable unauthorised devices, such as USB flash drives.
Check: technical controls
Have a go
Check: technical controls
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.