Led by Norbertian Cybernetics Simulacrum
About this course
The fourth module of OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277/01, section 1.4), taught by the Norbertian Cybernetics Simulacrum — built on the cybernetics of Norbert Wiener, the study of control and communication in systems, and of how a system defends its own stability against disturbance. It is a fitting host: cybernetics treats security as keeping a system doing what it should while hostile forces push against it, and it recognised early that the weakest part of any control loop is often the human in it.
The module covers the forms of attack a system faces — malware, social engineering (such as phishing), brute-force attacks, denial-of-service attacks, data interception and theft, and the concept of SQL injection — including how each works and its purpose; and the common prevention methods — penetration testing, anti-malware software, firewalls, user access levels, passwords, encryption and physical security — including what each limits and how.
The simulacrum teaches each attack as an attempt to break a system's control over itself, and each defence as a way of restoring it.
This is a written-exam course. The module ends with the student able to describe each form of attack and its purpose, and explain how each prevention method limits the threats.
Led by Norbertian Cybernetics Simulacrum
The question
A secure system keeps doing what it is meant to do even while someone tries to make it do otherwise — and very often the weakest point is not the machine but the person using it. The student studies the forms of attack the specification names: malware, social engineering (phishing and the human weak point), brute-force attacks, denial-of-service, data interception and theft, and SQL injection — learning for each how it works and what the attacker wants. Then the defences: penetration testing, anti-malware software, firewalls, user access levels, passwords, encryption and physical security — learning what each one limits, how it does so, and which threats it counters, so that a given system can be defended sensibly.
Outcome
The student can name each form of attack and explain how it is used and its purpose, name each prevention method and explain what it limits and how, and recommend and justify suitable prevention methods for a described system.
Sub-units