Cyber Safety, Security and Ethics
What the exam tests
Cyber Safety, Security and Ethics tests threats, safeguards, safe online behaviour, privacy, intellectual property and cyber law. Questions ask you to identify an attack or choose the correct response.
Core rules
- Security goals: confidentiality, integrity and availability. Authentication proves identity; authorisation controls access.
- Malware types: virus (attaches to files), worm (self-replicates across networks), Trojan (disguised useful program), ransomware (encrypts data for payment), spyware (collects information).
- Phishing uses fake messages or sites to steal credentials; pharming redirects to fake sites; social engineering manipulates people.
- Safeguards: strong unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, updates, antivirus, firewall, encryption, backups and least privilege.
- Ethics and law: do not plagiarise, respect copyright and software licences, avoid cyberbullying and identity theft. In India, the Information Technology Act, 2000 addresses cyber offences; sections 66C and 66D cover identity theft and cheating by personation.
- Report incidents to a trusted adult, institution authority or cybercrime portal; preserve evidence.
Worked example
An email claims to be from a bank, warns that the account will be blocked, and asks you to confirm an OTP through a link. Warning signs: urgency, a link whose domain is not the bank official domain, and a request for an OTP. Correct action: do not click; open the bank site or app independently; never share the OTP; report and delete the message. An OTP is a second factor, not a password to be disclosed.
Traps
HTTPS and a padlock do not prove a site is genuine. Antivirus does not replace updates or safe behaviour. A firewall is not the same as antivirus. Sharing passwords or OTPs defeats security. Downloading pirated software is both an ethics and malware risk.