Cyber Safety, Ethics and Emerging Technologies
What this domain tests
Cyber Safety, Ethics and Emerging Technologies tests threats, protective practices, legal/ethical use and awareness of AI, IoT, cloud, blockchain and big data.
Core rules
- Malware types: virus (attaches to files), worm (self-replicates over networks), Trojan (disguised), ransomware (encrypts for payment), spyware (collects data).
- Phishing, vishing and smishing trick users into revealing credentials; check sender address, links and urgency cues.
- Protection: strong unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, updates, antivirus, firewall, backups, encryption, least privilege.
- Ethics: respect privacy, avoid plagiarism, follow licences, do not access systems without authorisation. Digital footprints persist.
- Emerging tech: AI/ML learns patterns from data; IoT connects sensors/devices; cloud provides on-demand computing; blockchain is a distributed ledger; big data involves volume, velocity, variety.
Worked example
An email says "Your account will be closed in 2 hours. Click this link and enter your password." The sender domain is misspelled, the link points to an unrelated domain, and it demands urgent action. Verdict: phishing. Reasoning: legitimate services do not ask for passwords by email, urgency pressures the victim, and the domain mismatch contradicts the claimed sender. Safe action: navigate to the official site directly and report the message.
Traps
HTTPS does not guarantee a trustworthy site. A password with personal details is weak even with symbols. Do not share OTPs. Downloading from unofficial sites risks malware. "Ethical hacking" requires permission; unauthorised access is an offence.