O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 1 hour 15 questions

Exam Questions

Cyber Security
Cyber Security Threats / Keeping Data Safe

Easy (7 questions) /14 Scan here to return to the course

Hard (3 questions) /16

Total Marks /60

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Easy Questions
1 A company has a website that is stored on a web server.

The company is concerned about a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack

Suggest one security device that can be used to help prevent a DDoS attack.

(1 mark)

2 A student is concerned about the threats to their computer when using the internet

The student wants to use some security solutions to help protect the computer from the threats.

Identify a security solution that could be used to protect the computer from a computer virus, hacking and spyware.

Each security solution must be different.

Threat Security solution

Computer virus

Hacking

Spyware

(3 marks)

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3 (a) Adele chooses to set a biometric password for her mobile device, instead of a personal identification number (PIN).

State what is meant by a biometric password.

(1 mark)

(b) Adele also encrypts the data on her mobile device to keep it more secure.

State how encryption will keep the data more secure.

(1 mark)

4 Joelle is a student who uses the Internet.

Joelle uses a firewall to keep her data safe when she uses the Internet.

Tick (✓) to show which statement about firewalls is true.

Tick (✓)

Firewalls can only be hardware‑based

Firewalls can only be software‑based

Firewalls can be hardware‑based or software‑based

(1 mark)

5 Millions of emails are sent between users on a daily basis.

Online security attacks can maliciously damage data.

One security method to keep data safe from online attacks is a firewall.

Identify two other security methods that keep data safe from online attacks.

(1 mark)

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6 (a) A manager at a company is concerned about a brute‑force attack on its employee user accounts.

One possible aim for carrying out a brute‑force attack is to install malware onto the company network.

Identify three types of malware that could be installed.

(3 marks)

(b) Give two security solutions that could be used to help prevent a brute‑force attack being successful.

(2 marks)

7 A student uses the internet for their schoolwork to research what is meant by pharming.

State the aim of pharming.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 A company has a website that is stored on a web server.

The company is concerned about a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.

Describe what is meant by a DDoS attack.

(4 marks)

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2 (a) Adele chooses to set a biometric password for her mobile device, instead of a personal identification number (PIN).

Give two reasons why a biometric password is more secure than a PIN.

(2 marks)

(b) Adele has a software‑based firewall installed on her mobile device.

The firewall gathers data about the traffic coming into and going out of her mobile device.

Explain how the firewall uses the gathered data to keep the mobile device more secure.

(3 marks)

3 Joelle is a student who uses the Internet.

Joelle’s parent also uses the firewall to limit the websites that Joelle can access.

Explain how the firewall is used to limit the websites that Joelle can access.

(4 marks)

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4 (a) Millions of emails are sent between users on a daily basis.

Identify two online security attacks that can be carried out using email.

Describe how email is used to enable the attack.

Online security attack Description

(6 marks)

(b) Data can also be damaged accidentally.

One example of how data can be damaged accidentally is by shutting down a computer before saving data. To prevent this from happening
they have saved all data before shutting down a computer.

Complete the table by giving three other examples of how data can be damaged accidentally.

Give a method of prevention for each example.

Example Method of prevention

................................................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................

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5 (a) A manager at a company is concerned about a brute‑force attack on its employee user accounts

Describe how a brute‑force attack can be used to gain access to the employee user accounts.

(3 marks)

(b) A manager at a company is concerned about a brute‑force attack on its employee user accounts.

One possible aim for carrying out a brute‑force attack is to install malware onto the company network.

State two other aims for carrying out a brute‑force attack to gain access to the employee user accounts.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 An art gallery uses secure socket layer (SSL) to provide a secure connection when selling art on its website.

Describe the process of SSL and explain how it provides a secure connection.

(6 marks)

2 A student is concerned about the threats to their computer when using the internet.

The student wants to use some security solutions to help protect the computer from the threats.

Describe how each of the following security solutions will help protect the computer.

Anti-malware

Two-step verification

Passwords

(6 marks)

3 A student uses the internet for their schoolwork to research what is meant by harming

Draw and annotate a diagram to represent the process of pharming.

(4 marks)

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