15.7.2 Check Your Understanding - Identify the Security Term Answers

Explanation: Identity theft is a specific type of information theft where a threat actor steals login credentials or personal information to access private data. Once accessed, this information is often used to take over a person's identity to make unauthorized purchases or obtain legal documents.

Explanation: Topic 1.8.1

Spyware is a specific type of malicious software (malware) that is installed on an end device—such as a computer or smartphone—often without the user's knowledge. Its primary characteristic is that it secretly collects information about the user, which can include browsing habits, personal data, or sensitive credentials. Unlike other attacks that might aim to crash a system or delete data, spyware focuses on stealthily monitoring activity for the purpose of information theft. It is categorized as a common external security threat that requires host-level protection, such as antispyware applications, to mitigate.

Explanation: A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a malicious attempt to prevent legitimate users from accessing network services or resources by intentionally consuming system capacity. According to the sources, the primary characteristic of this attack type is that it is designed to slow or crash the applications and processes running on a network device. While other security threats such as identity theft or spyware focus on stealing data or monitoring user activity, DoS attacks prioritize the disruption of service availability, often leading to significant operational downtime and financial loss for an organization.

Explanation:

A virus is a specific type of malware defined as malicious software or code running on an end device, such as a computer, laptop, or mobile phone. Unlike standalone threats, a virus typically propagates by inserting a copy of itself into another program or executable file and remains dormant until a user runs that host file. Once activated, the virus can spread to other systems through network transfers, file sharing, or email attachments, potentially causing damage ranging from minor annoyances to the total destruction of data and system functionality. This distinguishes viruses from other security concepts, such as firewalls which are hardware or software filters, or denial of service attacks which focus on overwhelming network resources.

Explanation: Adware and spyware are types of software installed on a user's device that secretly collect information about the user.

Explanation: Antivirus and antispyware are applications used to protect end devices (such as PCs, laptops, and smartphones) from being compromised or infected with malicious software. These tools are considered basic security components for both home and small office networks and are often required by corporate security policies to maintain endpoint integrity. While other security measures like firewalls or VPNs focus on network-level protection, antivirus software operates directly on the host to mitigate threats from viruses, worms, and other malware.

Explanation:

A Trojan horse is a specialized form of malware characterized by malicious software or code running on an end device that intentionally disguises itself as a legitimate program to deceive users. Unlike viruses which attach to existing host programs or worms which are standalone and self-propagating, Trojan horses rely on user interaction—such as opening an email attachment or executing a download—to be loaded and activated on a system. Once executed, the software can perform a variety of illegitimate actions, including the destruction of data, the theft of sensitive information, or the creation of unauthorized back doors that provide threat actors with persistent access to the compromised host. Because they present a harmful payload within a seemingly benign package, Trojan horses are considered a primary external security threat that exploits human trust rather than relying solely on technical system vulnerabilities.

Explanation: Antivirus and antispyware are applications used to protect end devices (such as PCs, laptops, and smartphones) from being compromised or infected with malicious software. These tools are considered basic security components for both home and small office networks and are often required by corporate security policies to maintain endpoint integrity. While other security measures like firewalls or VPNs focus on network-level protection, antivirus software operates directly on the host to mitigate threats from viruses, worms, and other malware.