DL Cybersecurity and Online Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'man-in-the-middle' (MitM) attack?
- An attacker intercepts communication between two parties without their knowledge (Correct answer)
- A hacker physically sits between two computers
- Malware that deletes files from the middle of a hard drive
- An attacker who targets only mid-sized companies
Correct answer: An attacker intercepts communication between two parties without their knowledge
In a MitM attack, the attacker secretly intercepts and possibly alters communication between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other.
Question 2: Which of the following is the safest way to store passwords?
- Write them in a notebook kept at your desk
- Use the same strong password for all accounts
- Store them in an encrypted password manager (Correct answer)
- Save them in a plain text file on your desktop
Correct answer: Store them in an encrypted password manager
A reputable encrypted password manager securely stores unique passwords and protects them with strong encryption.
Question 3: What does 'end-to-end encryption' mean in messaging apps?
- Messages are encrypted only on the sender's device
- Only the sender and recipient can read the messages; no one else, including the provider (Correct answer)
- Messages are encrypted when stored on company servers
- Encryption that applies only to emails
Correct answer: Only the sender and recipient can read the messages; no one else, including the provider
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the communicating users can read the messages, preventing even the service provider from accessing them.
Question 4: What is 'credential stuffing'?
- Creating overly complex passwords
- Using stolen username/password pairs from one breach to try logging into other sites (Correct answer)
- Stuffing too many credentials into a password manager
- A technique for recovering forgotten passwords
Correct answer: Using stolen username/password pairs from one breach to try logging into other sites
Credential stuffing exploits password reuse by automating login attempts across many sites using credentials leaked from other breaches.
Question 5: A website's URL begins with 'https://'. What does the 's' indicate?
- The site is social media
- The connection is encrypted using SSL/TLS (Correct answer)
- The site is sponsored
- The site is hosted on a secure government server
Correct answer: The connection is encrypted using SSL/TLS
The 's' in HTTPS stands for secure, meaning the connection between your browser and the website is encrypted via SSL/TLS.
Question 6: Which action best protects against SIM-swapping attacks?
- Using SMS-based two-factor authentication
- Setting a PIN or passcode with your mobile carrier for account changes (Correct answer)
- Changing your phone number frequently
- Disabling voicemail on your account
Correct answer: Setting a PIN or passcode with your mobile carrier for account changes
Setting a carrier-level PIN prevents attackers from convincing your carrier to transfer your number to a new SIM without that code.
Question 7: What is 'doxing'?
- Sending excessive emails to crash a server
- Publicly revealing someone's private personal information online without consent (Correct answer)
- A type of ransomware attack targeting documents
- Scanning documents to find malware
Correct answer: Publicly revealing someone's private personal information online without consent
Doxing is the malicious practice of researching and publicly exposing private information about an individual online.
DL Cybersecurity and Online Safety 2
What is a 'man-in-the-middle' (MitM) attack?