LET’S FI N D OUT!

COM PUTER SCI ENCE

WHAT IS CYBERSECURITY?
TITLES IN THIS SERIES

WHAT ARE COMPUTER NETWORKS WHAT IS

CYBERSECURITY?
AND THE INTERNET?

WHAT ARE COMPUTERS?

WHAT ARE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE?

WHAT IS CYBERSECURITY?

WHAT TASKS CAN COMPUTERS PERFORM?

KAMAR
HAQ KAMAR
LET’S FI N D OUT! COM PUTER SCI ENCE

WHAT IS
CYBERSECURITY?

HAQ KAMAR
Published in 2018 by Britannica Educational Publishing (a trademark of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.) in
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Title: What is cybersecurity? / Haq Kamar.
Description: New York : Britannica Educational Publishing, in Association with Rosen Educational Services,
2018. | Series: Let’s find out! Computer science | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Audience:
Grades 1–4.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017018663| ISBN 9781680488548 (library bound : alk. paper)
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C ontents
What Are Computers and Computer Networks? 4
Physical Harm 6
What Is Cybersecurity? 8
Why Attack a Computer? 10
Phishing 12
Malware 14
What Does Malware Do? 16
Malware and Individuals 18
Malware and Companies 20
Cybersecurity and Governments 22
Good Practices 24
Data Encryption 26
Law Enforcement 28
Glossary 30
For More Information 31
Index 32
 W hat A re C omputers and

C omputer N etworks ?
A computer stores,
displays, and processes
information. Computers
come in many forms. We
use desktops, laptops,
tablets, or smartphones
at home, at school, and
at work. Computers
help with manufacturing
products, keeping
records, communicating,
All of these devices and banking. Computers can be fun,
are computers. They too. We use computers to shop, to
are each used for listen to music, and to play games.
different reasons, A computer network is a
and some are more
collection of computers that are
mobile than others.
connected to each other. They

4
The computers
in this computer
lab have access
to the internet
and to a local area
network.

communicate with each other electronically. The

internet is one example of a network. Communicating
between computers through the internet happens in
ways that the user usually controls. However, using the
internet is not always safe. It is important to know how
to make computers safer.

Think About It
Think about what would happen if you and
your family went through a day without using
a computer at all. What would you do? What
activities would you have to do differently?

5
P hysical H arm
Computers can be damaged
in many different ways. A
person can pour water on
a device, hit it with a hard
object, or drop it.
Computers can also
be stolen. A smartphone
can be taken from out
of a person’s pocket or a
laptop may be swiped from
an unattended chair in a
restaurant. There are many other ways A Kensington
a computer may be stolen. Laws clearly lock will keep
explain punishments for people who a device secure
steal or deliberately damage physical while left in
property such as computers. However, an open area if
it is locked to
people can also damage computers
furniture.
through software. A hacker, or a person

6
Malware can come from
running a program or
downloading files from
a flash drive like the one
pictured.

who breaks into

Think About It
computer systems,
How do you and your family
can download and
protect your electronic devices?
install destructive
software on a
user’s computer without taking the computer. They can
also download files in this kind of attack. Hackers can
also delete some or all of the computer owner’s files.

7
 W hat I s
C ybersecurity ?
The word “cyber” means “related to computers or
computer networks.” Cybersecurity therefore is
protection for your computer and the information
on the computer. Without cybersecurity, data on a
computer can be erased or stolen.
Keeping yourself safe online is a lot like keeping
yourself safe offline. It is important to be aware of your
surroundings at all
times. Understand
where threats may

A firewall can
protect computers
by filtering traffic
between devices
and the internet.

8
Someone has
left a computer
and a cell phone
unattended. The
devices and the
data they store
are at risk.

come from
and know
how to get help. However, it is a little harder to keep
your virtual existence safe. Your virtual existence is the
information that computers and databases associate
with you. Threats in the virtual world are not always as
easy to recognize as threats in the real world. That is
why cybersecurity is so important.

Compare and Contrast

How were you taught to keep safe outside? What
kinds of steps would you take or do you take to
be safe online?

9
W hy A ttack
a C omputer ?
Cybersecurity can often stop hackers from committing
a cybercrime. However, some hackers are familiar with
certain cybersecurity measures and know how to get
around them.
Hackers may break into computers for a number of
reasons. They may want to sell the data they access or
use the victim’s computer to spread harmful programs.
They may also
want to harm
or embarrass an
organization they
do not like. Or,

Many cyberattacks have

targeted large stores to
get at the data of the
stores’ customers.
10
 Compare and Contrast
How is stealing computer information like
stealing the actual computer? How is it different?

they may want to become

famous because of their
abilities. A hacker might
also just disagree with the
beliefs of the victim. Some
companies employ their
own hackers so they can
find the weak points in their
security system. This makes
their system stronger.
One common cybercrime
involves tricking the victim.

Children are at risk

because they are very
trusting.
11
 P hishing
In a scam called
phishing, someone Vocabulary
sends emails Phishing is pronounced the same
pretending to be way as “fishing.” As with the usual
from a trustworthy kind of fishing, a phishing scam
organization. These hopes to lure its victims. The bait
in a phishing scam is an offer that
emails ask for
sounds attractive to the victim.
personal or financial
information from an
unsuspecting user. The user is tricked into sending that
information.

Harmful emails offer

opportunities and
money. They are trying
to trick the reader
into sharing personal
information.

12
 Sharing credit card
information online can
be dangerous. There’s
always a chance for shared
information to be abused.

Phishing emails can also

supply a link to a fake website
that looks like one the user
might be familiar with, like
a social network. The user
is then asked to sign in to
the account. That requires
sharing a username, password,
or some other sensitive
information.
Advertisement links on
some websites can also be
phishing scams. These ads might claim you have won a
prize. Trying to claim the prize will require you to enter
your personal information. But they will never deliver
the prize they promise because it is a trick.

13
M alware
Malicious software, or malware, is more invasive
than phishing. It enters a computer through
network connections, other software, and hardware.
Downloading email attachments, visiting websites,
or attaching a hardware device can put malware on a
computer.
There are many types of malware. One type is
spyware. Spyware gathers information by watching what
a user does. Spyware can steal webcam footage and allow
a hacker to watch the user. It can also record input.
Worms
and viruses are
other types of
malware. When

This woman is talking

on Skype. Webcams
can be hacked to
record videos or take
pictures.
14
Stores like Google
Play and iTunes
offer free and paid
app downloads.
But some apps steal
users’ information.

downloaded,
they attempt
to spread
themselves either Think About It
throughout the same During the Trojan War, the
infected computer ancient Greeks built a hollow
or to a network. wooden horse that allowed them
Spreading can corrupt to enter the city of Troy and
data. capture it. Why do you think
Trojan malware has that name?
Trojans, or Trojan
horse viruses, are
malware, too. Trojans are packaged with software that
the user did intend to install. It is like opening a box of
cereal and finding a prize you did not expect, but the
prize is actually something harmful or unpleasant.

15
W hat D oes
M alware D o ?
One effect of malware is that it slows down the infected
computer when it runs. The infected computer may also
become a zombie computer, or a computer that hackers
control. Many zombie computers can attack a website
by overloading it with traffic. One way to understand
this is to think of a small restaurant where hundreds of
people want to eat. There would not be enough space for
all of them to eat. A restaurant employee would have to

This tweet reveals

that a website is not
available. A reply
mentions that the
site is under attack.

16
 This man is checking his
email. Email attachments
may have malware.

make some of them wait

to enter, but a website
cannot make people wait.
Instead, the website would
stop working for everyone
who tries to use it.
Other zombie computers
spread malware, videos, or pictures.
Some content is illegal to send, so a zombie computer
can cause legal trouble for the owner of the computer.
The hacker controlling the computer would be hard to
find, so they might not get into trouble.

Compare and Contrast

How are phishing scams the same or different
from malware?

17
M alware and
I ndividuals
Malware that deletes data can cause many problems.
Victims may only lose a few hours of homework, or they
may lose years of photos and videos. It can cost money,
too, if the malware damages a computer so that it needs
to be fixed or replaced.
A serious cybercrime Vocabulary
committed against individuals is
identity theft. Hackers can use Identity means the
qualities that make
one person or thing
different from all
others.

This woman is
destroying data to
protect information.
Destroying data can
also be harmful.
18
Identity
thieves will
target sensitive
information like
a Social Security
number or a
credit card to
steal money.

malware to steal a person’s identity. They can access a

person’s important information, such as Social Security
numbers and bank accounts. The criminal can then
pretend to be that person and spend all the victim’s
money. It is possible to undo the damage that occurs
because of identity theft, but it takes a lot of time.
Another consequence of a cyberattack is that it
can hurt someone’s reputation and relationships. For
example, a user may pass along the malware without
knowing it. The person who receives that may be upset
with the user.

19
 M alware and
C ompanies
Companies sometimes use software that acts as malware.
For example, a music company called Sony BMG once
installed software on their music CDs that was meant to
stop the user from copying the music. However, it also
had other effects. Hackers were able to use the same
software to cause trouble on other computers.
Companies can also be victims. Some hackers target
companies to steal customers’ personal information.
Other hackers are more

In 2005 some CDs from

Sony BMG (now Sony
Music Entertainment)
contained software that
acted as malware.

20
 Think About It
Should a company ever be able to access the data
on a user’s computer if the company isn’t helping
to fix a software problem? Why or why not?

interested in shutting down the whole business. They

may perform something called a denial of service attack.
These attacks overload a company’s website so users
cannot access the site.
The government can also encourage
hacking. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) once asked
a company for a way to get
past the security on a phone
that the company made.
The FBI wanted to access
a criminal’s data in order
to see if that person had
planned a second crime.

This is the Federal Bureau of Investigation

(FBI) headquarters building in Washington,
DC. They investigate some cybercrimes.
21
C ybersecurity
and G overnments
Governments face threats to cybersecurity in many
ways. Government computers can be affected by
malware just as the computers of individuals are. That
malware can be used to steal information about a
country’s secrets or about the
people who work for the country.
Computer attacks can come
from inside or outside of the
country. Someone who works for
a government may have access
to secret computer files. They
may copy that information and

This 2013 portrait shows Edward

Snowden. He was not a hacker, but he
did take files that were not his.

22
 Compare and Contrast
share it with others.
How is stealing a government’s
They may have many
computer information similar
reasons for doing that. to stealing information from
They may want to sell an individual or a company?
the information or How is it different?
they may want to let
other people know
about activities that they do not approve of.
Governments themselves may use malware to
hack into the computers of other governments or of
companies. A man named Edward Snowden released files
showing that the US government was secretly collecting
data about many
citizens and
foreigners.

Sensitive government
documents are
frequently blacked out
for security reasons.

23
G ood P ractices
Users can protect their devices
by installing anti-malware
software. This software scans
a computer for malware and
attempts to remove it. Users
can also add a firewall to
protect their information.
It is also a good idea to
back up data often. This
involves creating copies of the

Vocabulary
A firewall is a program
that restricts access to a
computer.

This father is showing his son how to safely

use the internet on a tablet.

24
This external hard
drive is hooked up to a
laptop. Users can back
up data on external
hard drives.

data and saving

them somewhere
safe. Data can
be backed up to
a separate folder
on the same
computer, to an online site, or to an external storage
device. External devices include external hard drives,
flash drives, or SD cards.
When online, be careful where you click. Do not
open unexpected attachments or click unfamiliar links.
Do not download files from strange websites, and make
sure the URL matches the site you are trying to visit.
Speak with your family about making sure your
computer has all of these protections. These basic steps
will keep a device safe.

25
D ata E ncryption
Encryption is an advanced form of protection.
Computers encrypt data by turning it into a code that
must be solved, or decrypted, to be read.
Encryption has been done by hand since ancient
times. Encryption is useful because it is not easy to read
or determine the value of encrypted data. In addition
to encrypting files, a
user can encrypt access
points. Doing that
means a hacker cannot
even get to the files on
a computer. Layers of
encryption mean layers of
cybersecurity.

Website accounts rely

on encryption to protect
users’ data.

26
 Think About It
Speaking another language is like encryption.
What else is like encryption?

There are two ways to decrypt data.

Either someone shares the
instructions on how to decrypt
the data, or someone
figures it out by hacking.
However, hacking is
difficult and takes
much more time and
effort than being
given the answer.

Encryption scrambles
information. It
makes the data look
something like this.

27
L aw
E nforcement
There are some laws against online misconduct but not
for every type of attack. As a result, some victims of
online attacks cannot receive justice or compensation
for their trouble.
Companies and providers of internet service work to
end abuse. They may recognize and address some abuses,
but there are too many abuses to keep up with.
Using
the internet

This police
officer is
looking at email.
She may be
investigating a
cybercrime.

28
In 2013, Major General
Brett Williams spoke
to a crowd about
cybersecurity.

creates an
environment
that exposes
people to
millions of
strangers.
Certain websites have more visitors than the population
of the biggest cities in the world. Online hackers can do
much more than thieves stealing in the real world.
It is possible to keep hackers out of your computer,
however. You must protect hardware and data from
theft. Have a plan and know what to do if protection
fails. Parents can help
Think About It with prevention, and
Computers can be difficult computer experts can
to keep safe, but people solve any problems
still like to use them. Why that occur.
do you think that is?
29
G lossary
communicate To send and receive malicious Mean or spiteful; deliberately
information. harmful.
cyberattack An online attack. scam A plan to deceive or trick someone.
decrypt To crack a code so that the spyware Software that collects and
message can be read. shares information about a computer’s
denial of service attack An attack that activities without the user’s permission.
overloads a website so that no one can URL An address on the internet. It is
use it. short for Uniform Resource Locator
hacker An expert at programming and and is formatted as “http://www.
solving problems with a computer; a website.com.”
person who gains access to a computer virtual Of or existing mostly online.
system through an unusual entry point. virus A program that produces copies of
infected Contaminated with a harmful itself in a computer.
computer program. worm A program that infects and
input To enter data into a computer. damages networks.
internet A communications system
that connects computers and computer
networks all over the world.

30
F or M ore
I nformation
Books
Brundle, Harriet. Staying Safe Online. Kings Lynn, UK: BookLife, 2016.

Goldstein, Margaret J., and Martin Gitlin. Cyber Attack. Minneapolis, MN:
Twenty-First Century Books, 2015.

Head, Honor. Being Safe Online. London, UK: Franklin Watts, 2015.

McAneney, Caitie. Online Safety (Let’s Talk About It). New York, NY: Powerkids
Press, 2015.

Stuckey, Rachel. Cyber Bullying. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2013.

Websites
Because of the changing nature of internet links, Rosen Publishing has developed
an online list of websites related to the subject of this book. This site is updated
regularly. Please use this link to access this list:

http://www.rosenlinks.com/LFO/Cyber

31
I ndex
computer network, 4–5, 8 Investigation (FBI), 21 online safety, 8–9, 28–29
computers firewall, 8, 24
backup, 25 phishing, 12–13
definition, 4 hackers
encryption, 26–27 company-employed, 11 smartphones, 4, 6, 21
infection of, 14–15, 16–17, definition, 6–7 Snowden, Edward, 23
18 and identity theft, 18–19 software
physical harm to, 6–7 protection from, 26, 29 anti-malware, 24
scans, 24 reasons for attack, 10–11, destructive, 6–7
types of, 4–5 20–21 malware, 14–15, 20
virus, 14–15 and spyware, 14 Sony BMG, 20
worm, 14–15 and zombie computers, spyware, 14
cybercrime, 10–11, 18 16–17
cybersecurity Trojan viruses, 15
definition, 8–9 identity theft, 18–19
and encryption, 26 internet, 5, 28–29 virtual existence, 9
and governments, 22–23
and hackers, 10 law enforcement, 28–29 zombie computers, 16–17

data encryption, 26–27 malware, 14–15

data loss, 18 attacks on individuals,
denial of service attack, 21 18–19
and companies, 20–21
email, 12–13, 14 effects of, 16–17
protection from, 24–25
Federal Bureau of music CDs, 20

32
 LET’S FI N D OUT! COM PUTER SCI ENCE

WHAT IS CYBERSECURITY?
TITLES IN THIS SERIES

WHAT ARE COMPUTER NETWORKS WHAT IS

CYBERSECURITY?
AND THE INTERNET?

WHAT ARE COMPUTERS?

WHAT ARE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE?

WHAT IS CYBERSECURITY?

WHAT TASKS CAN COMPUTERS PERFORM?

KAMAR
HAQ KAMAR