A new laptop, straight from the box
A new laptop arrives. It has demo software, an easy default password and every door open so it works for everyone.
It is easy to use and easy to attack.
Today you learn how to tighten a device, catch harmful software and raise an alarm when someone tries to break in.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what four defences are for, how they work, and what good and bad points each has.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mitigation | A way to reduce the harm of a threat. |
| Security settings | Choices in hardware or software that control how safe it is. |
| Anti-malware | Software that finds and deals with malware. |
| Signature | A known pattern that identifies a piece of malware. |
| Quarantine | Moving a file to a safe place where it cannot run. |
| Intrusion detection | Watching a system or network and raising an alert when something looks wrong. |
| Device hardening | Making a device safer by removing what it does not need and tightening settings. |
| False positive | An alert about something harmless. |
| Default password | The password a device has when new, which everyone knows. |
| Malware | Harmful software. |
| Firmware | Software stored inside a device, such as a laptop's startup system. |
| Network | Computers joined together so they can share data. |
| Firewall | A guard that decides which internet traffic may pass. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
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.
Cycle 1: security settings
Every device has settings. The right ones make it safer.
Hardware settings: a startup password in the firmware, turning off ports you do not use, and a lock on the case.
Software settings: a screen lock, a firewall switched on, automatic updates and the least access each user needs.
Purpose: stop easy attacks.
Anti-malware: function and actions
What it does: anti-malware scans files and programs, then compares them with a list of signatures and with known bad behaviour.
The actions it can take: block a file, quarantine it (move it somewhere safe), delete it, or alert you.
It works best when its list of signatures is kept up to date.
Intrusion detection and hardening
Intrusion detection watches traffic and logs. When it sees a pattern such as 50 wrong passwords in a minute, it raises an alert. It does not usually stop the attack: it tells a person.
Device hardening means removing what you do not need. Close unused ports. Remove spare programs. Change default passwords. Turn on updates.
Check: the four defences
Have a go
Check: the four defences
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.