Cybersecurity Awareness Month Crossword

2. A form of malware that replicates across computer systems by infecting another piece of software
6. Software that runs on the endpoint and prevents malware from accessing the system
10. An appliance that sits between your network and the Internet and scans all data passes through
12. An attempt by cybersecurity expert to hack into your network and identify any holes in your cybersecurity
13. These bad actors may or may not be hackers. Their purpose is to acquire and use stolen information or attack users solely for gain.
14. When an attacker sends emails that appear to be legitimate but have links to pharming sites or attachments that contain malware
15. Encrypts either a portion or entire computer system and presents the user with a ransom note on how to pay and receive a decryption tool
16. These spread across computer systems but self-replicates rather than infecting other software
17. A network of hijacked computers a hacker uses for attacking other networks, sending spam or performing calculations such as cryptocurrency mining or cracking stolen passwords

1. Any software intended to damage, disable or take control of a computer system without the owner’s consent
3. This practice encompasses techniques used by bad actors to trick a person into providing them key information needed for a scheme.
4. A hacker that sees their activity as political activism
5. Skilled computer users that seek to discover flaws in computer systems that allow them to access part of a system without proper authorization
7. A series of software tools that enable an attacker to take control of an operating system at the root level
8. A highly targeted phishing attack with information typically acquired through social engineering
9. This is a series of numbers, letters, and characters that safeguard accounts. It should be easy to remember but hard to guess
11. The process of encoding information so that only authorized individuals can access it