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Year 9 - Computing

Malicious software

Introduction to cybersecurity

Unit Summary

This unit takes pupils on a journey of discovery about techniques used by cybercriminals to steal data, disrupt systems and infiltrate networks. They will consider the value of data to organisations and what it is used for. They will look at social engineering techniques and common cybercrimes.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to assess the impact of malicious software on individuals and society.

Key Notes

  • Malware (malicious software) is software designed to gain access to a computer to cause problems in its operation.
  • Malware can infect computers using many different methods.
  • Bots are automated programs that are designed to perform tasks repeatedly.
  • Bots can be designed for malicious purposes to deliberately impact society.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • malware: malicious software - a program designed to cause damage to computer systems, corrupt or change files, steal data or cause disruption to services
  • virus: malware that spreads between computers and interferes with their normal operation
  • worm: malware that spreads through a network and uses resources to slow it down
  • trojan: malware that has been disguised as a harmless program
  • bots: automated programs that perform tasks repeatedly

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • You can only get malware on a computer if you download a file.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Describe the system or process from this lesson in clear steps.

Malware (malicious software) is software designed to gain access to a computer to cause problems in its operation. Malware can infect computers using many different methods.

2. Define this computing term and give one practical example. 'malware'

malicious software - a program designed to cause damage to computer systems, corrupt or change files, steal data or cause disruption to services. Add one real device or system example to prove understanding.

3. Correct this common computing misconception.

Mistake: You can only get malware on a computer if you download a file. Correction: Malware can infect a computer in other ways, like visiting unsafe websites, clicking bad links, or through software flaws, not just by downloading files.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 9 Computing guide library.