Five rules, five different worlds
A student guesses a teacher's password. A power company is hit by a cyber attack. A reporter asks a council for its records. A worker leaks a secret. Somebody listens to a neighbour's Wi-Fi.
Five more UK laws answer these. Your job in cyber security is to know which one applies.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Network | Devices joined together so they can share data. |
| Offence | An act that breaks the criminal law. |
| Unauthorised | Done without permission. |
| Public authority | A government body, such as a council or a hospital trust. |
| Exempt | Not covered by a rule. An exempt record does not have to be shared. |
| Operator of essential services | A company that runs a service the country relies on, such as power or water. Short form: OES. |
| Relevant digital service provider | A company with an online marketplace, a search engine or a cloud computing service. Short form: RDSP. |
| Cloud computing | Using computers and services run by another company over the internet. |
| Wireless | Sending data through the air, such as Wi-Fi or radio. |
| Regulator | A body that checks that a law is followed. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what five more UK laws are for, and match each one to a situation.
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.
Computer Misuse Act 1990
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes it a crime to meddle with computers without permission. It has four parts.
- Unauthorised access to computer material.
- Unauthorised access with intent to commit a further crime.
- Unauthorised modification or deletion of data.
- Making, supplying or obtaining anything that can be used for these crimes, such as a hacking tool.
Only touch what you are allowed to touch
Warning
A security tester has written permission from the owner before any test. Without it, even a quick look is a crime. In a lab or at work, stay inside what you were given.
Check: the Computer Misuse Act
Have a go
Check: the Computer Misuse Act
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.