Computer Security — GK Questions with Answers

1. Which is another name for computer security?
   1. Data mining
   2. Cyber security
   3. Web designing
   4. Network topology
   Show answer

   Answer: (B) Cyber security

   It is also called IT security; it is a branch of information security.

2. A school picks the security features built into its server before installation. Which method of protection is this?
   1. Administration
   2. System access control
   3. Data access control
   4. System design
   Show answer

   Answer: (D) System design

   System design uses the basic hardware and software security features.

3. The method that watches who may reach data and for what purpose —
   1. Offline administration
   2. Cryptography
   3. Data access control
   4. System design
   Show answer

   Answer: (C) Data access control

   Mandatory access control is a form of it.

4. Offline routines like checking a backup register belong to which protection method?
   1. System and security administration
   2. System access control
   3. Data access control
   4. System design
   Show answer

   Answer: (A) System and security administration

   Such procedures make or break a secure system.

5. How many basic components of computer security are listed?
   1. Four
   2. Five
   3. Six
   4. Seven
   Show answer

   Answer: (D) Seven

   Confidentiality, integrity, authentication, access control, non-repudiation, availability, privacy.

6. A question-paper file visible only to selected officers is an example of which component?
   1. Privacy
   2. Availability
   3. Non-repudiation
   4. Confidentiality
   Show answer

   Answer: (D) Confidentiality

   No unauthorised person reaching the data = confidentiality.

7. Someone secretly changes marks on a mark-sheet and authorised staff cannot tell. Which component has failed?
   1. Privacy
   2. Access control
   3. Integrity
   4. Availability
   Show answer

   Answer: (C) Integrity

   Integrity means unauthorised changes are detectable.

8. Making sure the user is who they claim to be —
   1. Encryption
   2. Availability
   3. Spoofing
   4. Authentication
   Show answer

   Answer: (D) Authentication

   Checking a login name and password is the same thing.

9. The sender cannot later say the message was not sent by him. Which component does this?
   1. Integrity
   2. Non-repudiation
   3. Privacy
   4. Availability
   Show answer

   Answer: (B) Non-repudiation

   The receipt of registered post is an example.

10. The form website is down on the last date. Which component is violated?
    1. Authentication
    2. Confidentiality
    3. Availability
    4. Integrity
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Availability

    Service must not be denied to authorised users.

11. An individual’s right to decide who may use his information —
    1. Cipher
    2. Access control
    3. Privacy
    4. Integrity
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Privacy

    Privacy gives a person authority over his own information.

12. Placing a message inside a picture so its very existence is hidden —
    1. Steganography
    2. Decryption
    3. Hacking
    4. Cryptography
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    Answer: (A) Steganography

    In cryptography the message is seen but unreadable.

13. The science of writing in secret form that guards data in transit and on disk —
    1. Cryptography
    2. Spoofing
    3. Phishing
    4. Cracking
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Cryptography

    Cipher, encryption and decryption are its terms.

14. The original readable message on which coding begins is called —
    1. Payload
    2. Cipher text
    3. Plain text
    4. Decrypted key
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Plain text

    It is the input of the process.

15. Shifting every letter of “HELLO” three places ahead gives —
    1. IFMMP
    2. LIPPS
    3. KHOOR
    4. EBIIL
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) KHOOR

    H→K, E→H, L→O, L→O, O→R.

16. The process of turning cipher text back into plain text —
    1. Decryption
    2. Compression
    3. Formatting
    4. Encryption
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    Answer: (A) Decryption

    Decryption is the reverse of encryption.

17. Why would one encrypt a file, mainly —
    1. To reduce its size
    2. To secure it during transmission
    3. To prepare it for backup
    4. To add it to start-up
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) To secure it during transmission

    Encryption does not shrink data; it codes the message.

18. What is the commonest route of virus attack?
    1. The scanner cover
    2. E-mail attachments
    3. The mouse
    4. The monitor
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) E-mail attachments

    Take special care with mail from unknown senders.

19. Running illegally “unlocked” software is a route for which threat?
    1. Only power surge
    2. Paper jam
    3. Only fire
    4. Virus attack
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Virus attack

    Cracked software may hold viruses that are hard to detect and remove.

20. An unknown CD left in the drive at start-up poses what risk?
    1. The system may boot from it and catch a virus
    2. The printer will stop
    3. No risk
    4. The screen will blur
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) The system may boot from it and catch a virus

    Hence removing the CD is a good habit.

21. The correct sense of the word “malware” —
    1. A hardware item
    2. A harmful program
    3. A person
    4. A network cable
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) A harmful program

    Malware = malicious software.

22. Pick the item that is not malware.
    1. Antivirus
    2. Worm
    3. Spyware
    4. Rootkit
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Antivirus

    Antivirus is protective software.

23. Which is regarded as the first computer virus?
    1. Melissa
    2. Stuxnet
    3. Brain
    4. Creeper
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Creeper

    Creeper — 1971.

24. The first PC boot-sector virus and its year —
    1. Creeper, 1971
    2. Elk Cloner, 1982
    3. Melissa, 1999
    4. Brain, 1986
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Brain, 1986

    Brain was created in 1986.

25. The program to which a virus attaches itself is called a —
    1. Host program
    2. Target program
    3. Backdoor program
    4. Bluetooth
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Host program

    A virus spreads by attaching to a host program.

26. The virus that hits files like .doc, .xls and .ppt —
    1. FAT virus
    2. Boot sector virus
    3. Macro virus
    4. Resident virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Macro virus

    Melissa.A is an example.

27. The virus that infects the starting area of a hard disk —
    1. Overwrite virus
    2. Web scripting virus
    3. Macro virus
    4. Boot sector virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Boot sector virus

    It is also called a Master Boot Record virus.

28. The virus that settles in RAM and infects every opened file —
    1. Resident virus
    2. Multipartite virus
    3. Polymorphic virus
    4. Direct action virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Resident virus

    Randex and Meve are examples.

29. The virus that erases information in files and makes them useless —
    1. Overwrite virus
    2. Resident virus
    3. Macro virus
    4. FAT virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Overwrite virus

    Way and Trj.Reboot are examples.

30. The virus that changes into a new coded form at each infection to escape detection —
    1. Direct action virus
    2. Polymorphic virus
    3. Boot sector virus
    4. File system virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Polymorphic virus

    Elkern and Tuareg are examples.

31. The virus that targets the File Allocation Table —
    1. Boot virus
    2. Web scripting virus
    3. FAT virus
    4. Macro virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) FAT virus

    The Link virus is an example.

32. The virus that spreads in several ways rather than one —
    1. Resident virus
    2. Overwrite virus
    3. Macro virus
    4. Multipartite virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Multipartite virus

    Flip is an example.

33. The virus spread by deliberately infected code on a website —
    1. Web scripting virus
    2. Polymorphic virus
    3. Boot virus
    4. Resident virus
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Web scripting virus

    JS Fortnight is an example.

34. Which of these is not an effect of a virus?
    1. Improving performance by raising RAM on its own
    2. Slowing the computer
    3. Showing error messages
    4. Extending boot time
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Improving performance by raising RAM on its own

    A virus may alter memory size but never to your benefit.

35. A computer that keeps rebooting by itself is usually taken as a sign of —
    1. Need of a CD-ROM
    2. A faulty mouse
    3. A virus
    4. A missing printer
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) A virus

    Sudden reboot is a malware symptom.

36. The malware that copies itself independently across a network —
    1. Trojan
    2. Keylogger
    3. Adware
    4. Worm
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Worm

    Morris and Nimda are examples.

37. Looks useful, opens unauthorised access behind the scenes and makes no copies —
    1. Worm
    2. Trojan horse
    3. Virus
    4. Firewall
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Trojan horse

    Beast, Sub7 and Zeus are examples.

38. The main difference between a virus and a trojan —
    1. They are the same
    2. A trojan does not copy itself
    3. A virus is hardware
    4. A trojan runs only in printers
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) A trojan does not copy itself

    A virus copies itself and attaches to other files.

39. The program that watches the owner’s activity and reports to a central source —
    1. Firewall
    2. Antivirus
    3. Spyware
    4. Patch
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Spyware

    Keyloggers are examples of spyware.

40. Entering a network by taking another’s IP address and posing as a legitimate user —
    1. IP spoofing
    2. Salami attack
    3. Spamming
    4. Phishing
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) IP spoofing

    Another name for spoofing is masquerade.

41. The technique of diverting tiny sums from many accounts —
    1. Salami technique
    2. Cracking
    3. Adware
    4. Patching
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Salami technique

    Like thin slices of a salami.

42. Intrusion into another’s computer or network that may lead to a DoS attack —
    1. Formatting
    2. Hacking
    3. Encryption
    4. Booting
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Hacking

    DoS stops authorised users from reaching resources.

43. Tools like password crackers and wardialers are linked with which activity?
    1. Scanning photos
    2. Archiving
    3. Cracking
    4. Defragmenting
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Cracking

    These are cracking tools.

44. An attempt to draw out login details through a fake bank e-mail —
    1. Patching
    2. Defragmentation
    3. Booting
    4. Phishing
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Phishing

    Cheating out sensitive information by posing as someone trusted.

45. What is unsolicited bulk e-mail called?
    1. Spam
    2. Draft
    3. Memo
    4. Outbox
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Spam

    Junk e-mail and spam are the same thing.

46. Software that automatically displays ads to earn revenue for its author —
    1. Logic bomb
    2. Adware
    3. Rootkit
    4. Patch
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Adware

    Showing unwanted ads is also adware.

47. The toolkit that hides a security breach and quietly gives administrator-level control —
    1. Worm
    2. Proxy
    3. Rootkit
    4. Keylogger
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Rootkit

    It takes control of the OS away from its legitimate operators.

48. Catching a private call or message in real time without permission —
    1. Patching
    2. Archiving
    3. Authentication
    4. Eavesdropping
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Eavesdropping

    The attacker monitors transmissions.

49. Code that starts a harmful task when a set condition is met, without copying itself —
    1. Logic bomb
    2. Worm
    3. Cookie
    4. Firewall
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Logic bomb

    It is also called slag code.

50. The program that logs every keystroke on a machine —
    1. Gateway
    2. Keylogger
    3. Patch
    4. Firewall
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Keylogger

    It can be a form of spyware.

51. Sharing copies of software when the owner has not allowed it —
    1. Cracking
    2. Hacking
    3. Software piracy
    4. Software license
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Software piracy

    A license gives the legal right to use software.

52. What gives the legal right to use software under certain restrictions?
    1. Privacy policy
    2. Password manager
    3. Software log
    4. Software license
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Software license

    The license terms set the restrictions.

53. Small vendor-made software pieces that fix weaknesses —
    1. Patches
    2. Payloads
    3. Packets
    4. Malware plugins
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Patches

    Patches repair security weaknesses and bugs.

54. The part of a worm that does more than just spread —
    1. Footer
    2. Payload
    3. Header
    4. Cache
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Payload

    In a bomb virus the payload is delayed.

55. The one that hides real network addresses and intercepts messages going in and out —
    1. Patch
    2. Cookie
    3. Proxy server
    4. Logic bomb
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Proxy server

    It can act like a firewall too.

56. A tool to quickly check network computers for known weaknesses —
    1. Security exploit
    2. Rootkit
    3. Keylogger
    4. Vulnerability scanner
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Vulnerability scanner

    A security exploit is the ready-made program that takes advantage of such weaknesses.

57. A small program hidden inside a GIF image —
    1. Web bug
    2. Cookie
    3. Spyware application
    4. Spam
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Web bug

    It is called a web bug.

58. To which class does software made to stop and remove viruses, worms and trojans belong?
    1. Hardware
    2. Security software (application)
    3. Operating system
    4. Office suite
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Security software (application)

    Antivirus is an application software.

59. Which of these is not an antivirus product?
    1. Norton
    2. Lynx
    3. Kaspersky
    4. Quick Heal
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Lynx

    Lynx is a text-based web browser.

60. A means of proving your identity in electronic transactions —
    1. Spam filter
    2. Cookie
    3. Cache
    4. Digital certificate
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Digital certificate

    It is a security attachment to a message.

61. The signature that authenticates the sender and shows the content is unchanged —
    1. Digital signature
    2. Scanned signature
    3. Handwritten signature
    4. Binary signature
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Digital signature

    It is a method resting on encryption.

62. What should be installed to protect a network from hacker intrusion?
    1. Script
    2. Firewall
    3. Mailer
    4. Macro
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Firewall

    A firewall filters traffic based on rules.

63. A key function of a firewall —
    1. Copying
    2. Moving
    3. Monitoring
    4. Deleting
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Monitoring

    It monitors and screens incoming and outgoing packets.

64. Between which two networks does a firewall build a bridge?
    1. Two printers
    2. Two monitors
    3. Two hard disks
    4. Trusted internal and untrusted external
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Trusted internal and untrusted external

    The external network is usually the Internet.

65. The most accurate purpose of a password —
    1. Retaining the confidentiality of files
    2. Running the system faster
    3. Simplifying the file structure
    4. Saving time
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) Retaining the confidentiality of files

    A password proves identity and grants access.

66. Which of these is the strongest password?
    1. password
    2. rahul1999
    3. 9876543210
    4. Rk#82!vTq
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Rk#82!vTq

    A mix of letters, digits and symbols is hard to break.

67. With only Read permission on a file, what can a user do?
    1. Run the file
    2. Delete the file
    3. Change the contents
    4. Only view the contents
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Only view the contents

    Changing or deleting needs Write; running needs Execute.

68. The permission that only lets a program file run —
    1. Read
    2. Write
    3. Print
    4. Execute
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Execute

    The three permissions: read, write, execute.

69. Rights that allow a user to open, edit or run a file are called —
    1. File access permission
    2. Authentication
    3. Firewall
    4. Cipher
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) File access permission

    Permissions can be given to a user or a group.

70. Which term means “anything that can cause harm”?
    1. Cookie
    2. Threat
    3. Patch
    4. Cipher
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Threat

    The potential impact of a threat is its degree of harm.

71. The commonly quoted expansion of VIRUS —
    1. Virtual Internet Resource Under Scan
    2. Valuable Information Record Under Security
    3. Vital Information Resources Under Siege
    4. Very Important Resource Under Search
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Vital Information Resources Under Siege

    It is really a playful back-formed expansion, but exams use it.

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