Year 9 · Autumn 2
Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Malware: viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware
TheoryTopic 17 Cybersecurity
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
You will learn to
- Explain what malware is: software made to cause harm.
- Compare viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware and spyware: how each spreads and what it does.
- Match each kind of malware to a defence that stops it.
- Explain how WannaCry spread in 2017, and why updates and backups would have helped.
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Success criteria
You have got it when you can say:
- I can complete the card sort for all five kinds of malware.
- I can say how a worm is different from a virus.
- I can name the threat from a short description in the practice.
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Retrieval starter
Questions from before. Write your answers, then show them.
- Last lesson
Caesar shift 1: 'CAT' becomes…
A BZSB DBUC CAT1
B. DBU
- Last unit
Typing your new password twice so they can be compared is…
A ValidationB VerificationC Authentication
B. Verification
- Last year
The program runs but gives the wrong answer. That's a…
A Runtime errorB Syntax errorC Logic error
C. Logic error
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (1 of 2)
- Malware
- Malicious software: viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware.
- Phishing
- Fake messages that trick people into giving details.
- Brute force
- Trying every possible password until one works.
- Encryption
- Scrambling data so only someone with the key can read it.
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Key words (2 of 2)
- Firewall
- Checks network traffic and blocks what isn't allowed.
The explanation · step 1 of 1
Malware
Malware = malicious software.
| Type | How it works | Picture it as |
|---|---|---|
| Virus | Attached to a file; spreads when people share it | A cold from touching something |
| Worm | Spreads across networks by itself | A cold walking door to door |
| Trojan | Pretends to be useful so you install it | The Trojan horse |
| Ransomware | Locks your files, demands payment | A kidnapper |
| Spyware | Secretly records what you type | Someone reading over your shoulder |
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Quick quiz · 1 of 3
The best defence against SQL injection is…
- A A longer password
- B Validation and parameterised queries
- C A firewall
B. Validation and parameterised queries
Keep user input as data, never part of the command.
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Quick quiz · 2 of 3
Logging into a friend's account 'just to look' is…
- A Only illegal in Spain
- B Legal if you change nothing
- C An offence under the Computer Misuse Act
C. An offence under the Computer Misuse Act
Unauthorised access alone is section 1 (and art. 197 bis in Spain).
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Quick quiz · 3 of 3
Websites should store your password as…
- A Plain text
- B A Caesar cipher
- C A hash
C. A hash
A one-way fingerprint: a leak doesn't reveal the passwords.
Year 9 · Cybersecurity · Lesson 2 of 5
Exit ticket
Answer on paper before you go. Then check.
A fake bank email asking you to log in is…
A Brute forceB A wormC Phishing
C. Phishing It fishes for your details with a fake message.
Which spreads across a network without anyone opening a file?
A WormB TrojanC Virus
A. Worm A worm copies itself by itself. A virus needs a person to share the file.