AQA · GCSE · Computer Science
Course version: 8525 · Version from Sept 2020
Cyber security
Full specification wording
Ethical, legal and environmental impacts of digital technology on wider society, including issues of privacy: cyber security
Cyber security means the measures taken to protect computer systems, networks and data from attack, damage or unauthorised access.
Checked against the AQA 8525 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 9
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Cyber security means the measures taken to protect computer systems, networks and data from attack, damage or unauthorised access. In this section you consider it within the wider ethical, legal and environmental context, including privacy. Threats include malware, phishing, hacking and denial-of-service attacks, and defences include strong passwords, encryption, firewalls and regular software updates. Ethical questions arise about how far organisations may monitor users, and legal duties (such as data protection) require personal data to be kept secure. Privacy is central: a breach can expose personal information. Environmental points include the energy used by security infrastructure. A multiple-choice question may ask you to identify a threat, a defence, or a privacy or legal consequence of poor security.
What earns the marks
- Defines cyber security as protecting systems, networks and data from attack or unauthorised access.
- Identifies at least one common threat, such as malware, phishing, hacking or a denial-of-service attack.
- Identifies at least one defence, such as strong passwords, encryption, a firewall or software updates.
- Links cyber security to privacy, explaining that a breach can expose personal data.
- Recognises a legal duty to keep personal data secure, or an ethical issue about monitoring and consent.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating cyber security as only about passwords.
Put it right: It covers many threats and defences, including malware, phishing, firewalls and encryption.
Confusing a threat with a defence (for example calling a firewall an attack).
Put it right: A firewall is a defence; malware is a threat.
Ignoring the privacy and legal dimension.
Put it right: The section requires linking security to privacy and to legal duties about personal data.
Exam tips
- When a question names a scenario, decide whether it is describing a threat or a defence before choosing an answer.
- Look for the option that connects security to privacy or legal duty when the question is set in section 3.8.
- Eliminate options that describe unrelated impacts, such as purely environmental effects, when the question is about protecting data.
Try the lesson
The start of the Ethical, legal and environmental impacts of digital technology on wider society, including issues of privacy: cyber security lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
A company stores customers' personal details on its network. Which cyber security measure best protects the confidentiality of these details if a laptop holding a copy is stolen?
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