Article

10 Cyber Security Awareness Month questions to ask your friends

F-Secure

Oct 1, 2024

7 min read

When the first Cyber Security Awareness Month was observed in October of 2004, there was no Instagram, no iPhone, no Alexa. The move toward mass digitalization had already begun well before the Y2K freak-out, but the energy, manufacturing and financial sectors were not nearly as dependent on the security of their networks as they are now.

Today, if you hear a bank has been robbed, it’s likely that it was done by criminals on another continent, perhaps backed by a nation-state, than by masked robbers fleeing in a getaway car.

Test your friends, colleagues, and family

Want to test the cyber security basics of the people in your life?

Here are 10 quick questions that will help them know if they’re ready to face the digital rush of the shopping season securely.

1. What does the “https://” at the beginning of a URL denote, as opposed to “http://” (without the “s”)?
A. That the site has special high definition
B. That information entered into the site is encrypted
C. That the site is the newest version available
D. That the site is not accessible to certain computers
E. None of the above

2. Which of the following is an example of a “phishing” attack?
A. Sending someone an email that contains a malicious link that is disguised to look like an email from someone the person knows
B. Creating a fake website that looks nearly identical to a real website in order to trick users into entering their login information
C. Sending someone a text message that contains a malicious link that is disguised to look like a notification that the person has won a contest
D. All of the above

3. A group of computers that is networked together and used by hackers to steal information is called a…
A. Botnet
B. Rootkit
C. DDoS
D. Operating system

4. Some websites and online services use a security process called two-step authentication. Which of the following images is an example of two-step authentication?

D. None of these

5. Which of the following four passwords is the most secure?
A. Boat123
B. WTh!5Z
C. into*48
D. 123456

6. Criminals access someone’s computer and encrypt the user’s personal files and data. The user is unable to access this data unless they pay the criminals to decrypt the files. This practice is called…
A. Botnet
B. Ransomware
C. Driving
D. Spam
E. None of the above

7. “Private browsing” is a feature in many internet browsers that lets users access web pages without any information (like browsing history) being stored by the browser. Can internet service providers see the online activities of their subscribers when those subscribers are using private browsing?
A. Yes
B. No

8. Turning off the GPS function of your smartphone prevents any tracking of your phone’s location.
A. True
B. False

9. If a public Wi-Fi network (such as in an airport or café) requires a password to access, is it generally safe to use that network for sensitive activities such as online banking?
A. Yes, it is safe
B. No, it is not safe

10. What kind of cyber security risks can be minimized by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?
A. Use of insecure Wi-Fi networks
B. Key-logging
C. De-anonymization by network operators
D. Phishing attacks

Here are the answers

1. What does the “https://” at the beginning of a URL denote, as opposed to “http://” (without the “s”)?
B. That information entered into the site is encrypted

But seeing that “s” in “https://” doesn’t mean your information is secured. Here are 4 easy ways to check website safety.

Yes, all of them. Read more in our article: What is phishing?

3. A group of computers that is networked together and used by hackers to steal information is called a …
A. Botnet

Botnets are used for DDoS attacks.

4. Some websites and online services use a security process called two-step authentication. Which of the following images is an example of two-step authentication?
A.

A. is the right answer. You can use email, and then SMS as your second step for authentication. But our experts recommend you use an app like Google’s Authenticator, which is less likely to be compromised, if you can.

Read more in our article: What is two-factor authentication?

5. Which of the following four passwords is the most secure?
B. WTh!5Z

No matter how good your password is, if you use it on more than one account, it is a risk. Use a password manager to avoid terrible passwords.

Create strong passwords for free with F-Secure Strong Password Generator.

Read more in our article What is ransomware?

Read more in our article: What is incognito mode? Your guide to private browsing

8. Turning off the GPS function of your smartphone prevents any tracking of your phone’s location.
B. False

If it were only that easy. A 2018 Princeton study found that a device’s time zone and information from its sensors can be combined with public information like maps to estimate your location, even without GPS data.

9. If a public Wi-Fi network (such as in an airport or café) requires a password to access, is it generally safe to use that network for sensitive activities such as online banking?
B. No, it is not safe

When you are on a public network, your device and traffic are vulnerable.

10. What kind of cyber security risks can be minimized by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?
A. Use of insecure Wi-Fi networks

Read more in our article: What is a VPN?