The key that opens every door
A caretaker has one master key. If she loses it, every door in the school is open.
Now think of a computer account that can do everything. If an attacker steals it, there is nothing left to protect. The last three Cyber Essentials controls are about this kind of risk.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Malware | software made to harm a computer or its owner |
| Anti-malware | software that finds and removes malware |
| Patch | a small update that fixes a weakness |
| Least privilege | giving each user only the access they need |
| Privileged access | powerful access above a normal user, such as a super user |
| PAM | privileged access management: extra care of powerful accounts |
| Account | a username and password that identify one user |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say how scans, updates and least privilege keep a system safe.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Malware protection: keep it current and scan
Anti-malware software finds known malware and removes it. Two habits make it work.
First, keep it up to date. New malware appears every day, and old software does not know it. Second, scan regularly, so malware that got in is found early.
Security update management: fix known weaknesses
A patch fixes a weakness that is already known. Attackers read the same news, so they race to use it.
Keep systems and software at their current levels. Apply updates quickly, and check that they were applied. Remove software that no longer gets updates.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.