One toolbox, six tools
A help desk gets six tickets in one morning. A stolen laptop. A strange file on a memory stick. A program with a known fault. A request to test a risky tool.
Each ticket needs a different tool. A good technician knows which one.
Today you build that skill.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Virtualisation | Running a computer inside another computer, as a virtual machine, kept apart from the real one. |
| Virtual machine | A pretend computer that runs as a program on a real one. |
| Penetration testing | A permitted attack made to find weak points before a criminal does. |
| Anti-virus | Software that scans for known harmful files and behaviour, and removes them. |
| Patch | A small update that fixes a fault, often a security hole. |
| Quarantine | Moving a suspect file to a safe place where it cannot run. |
| Signature | A known pattern of a harmful file, used to spot it. |
| Malware | Software made to harm a computer or steal data. |
| Encryption | Scrambling data so only a person with the right key can read it. |
| Vulnerability | A weak point that an attacker could use. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can choose between encryption, virtualisation, penetration testing, malware protection, anti-virus and patching for a given problem.
Starter: last lesson
Have a go
Starter: last lesson
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Cycle 1: encryption and virtualisation
Encryption protects data if it is stolen, and while it travels. You met it in the first lessons of this series.
Virtualisation runs a virtual machine inside the real computer. If a risky program breaks it, the real one is fine. You can undo the whole thing from a saved copy.
Uses: test a suspect file, browse a risky site, or keep an old program away from the main system. The risk: a flaw in the virtual machine software can let harm escape, so it also needs updates.
Cycle 2: penetration testing
Penetration testing is a planned and permitted attack. A tester tries to get in, as a criminal would. The report lists what worked and how to fix it.
It needs written permission and a clear scope: which systems, and when. Without permission it is a crime under the Computer Misuse Act.
The tester's report is only useful if somebody fixes what it finds.
Check: encryption, virtual machines and testing
Have a go
Check: encryption, virtual machines and testing
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.