Key Terms
- Brute force attack: Systematically trying every possible password combination
- Dictionary attack: Trying common passwords first before exhaustive combinations
- DoS (Denial of Service): Flooding a server with requests from ONE source
- DDoS (Distributed DoS): Flooding a server from MANY sources simultaneously
- Botnet: Network of compromised computers used to launch DDoS attacks
- SQL injection: Inserting malicious SQL code into a database input field
- Man-in-the-middle (MITM): Attacker intercepts communications between two parties
Must-Know Facts
- DDoS uses MULTIPLE attacking computers; DoS uses only one
- SQL injection targets DATABASES through user input fields (forms, search boxes)
- Brute force tries ALL combinations; dictionary attack tries COMMON passwords first
- Brute force prevention: account lockout, CAPTCHA, strong passwords, MFA
- DDoS impact: website unavailable, lost revenue, reputation damage
- SQL injection prevention: input sanitisation, parameterised queries
Key Concepts
- Technical attacks exploit system/software vulnerabilities (not humans)
- DDoS: compromised computers (botnet) overwhelm target with traffic
- SQL injection: malicious input alters the database query logic
- Brute force: short simple passwords = cracked in minutes; long complex = years
- Prevention: input validation, rate limiting, account lockout, strong passwords
Common Mistakes
- Confusing DoS and DDoS: DoS comes from ONE source; DDoS comes from MANY computers simultaneously (a botnet) — always specify the difference
- Saying SQL injection "crashes" the database: SQL injection manipulates the database query to extract, modify, or delete data — it exploits logic, not crashes
- Confusing brute force and dictionary attacks: Brute force tries every possible combination; dictionary attack tries a list of common passwords first
- Saying brute force is prevented only by long passwords: Prevention also includes account lockout policies, CAPTCHAs, and multi-factor authentication
- Describing MITM as "hacking the server": A man-in-the-middle attack intercepts communications between two parties — the attacker sits between them, not inside either system
This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: Technical Attacks within Technical Attacks for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Technical Attacks in 3.6 Fundamentals of Cyber Security for GCSE Computer Science with 18 exam-style questions and 16 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 9 of 9 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Technical Attacks
Which of the following best describes a brute force attack?
Explain what a DDoS attack is and how it affects a network.