[Year 12 SofDev] Sample SD questions from VCAA

[Mark Kelly]

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel/2007_softwaredev_sample.pdf

MC question 6...

"This software cannot operate by itself but must be activated by a user 
– usually the victim. Once active, it may carry out tasks such as 
sending out information about the computer, allowing remote access to 
the computer, or corrupting files on the hard disk."

What kind of malicious program code is described above?

A. spyware
B. trojan
C. virus
D. worm

I've been dithering about this one and ended up going for B. But...

1. Do many trojans have a file-destroying payload?
2. Would you call a "drive-by downloading" piece of spyware software 
that "cannot operate by itself"?
3. Worms do need to be activated by the victim, but is this the same for 
  true viruses which attach themselves to executables to propagate 
themselves without activation by the user?

Lots of ifs and buts with this question!  There are so many variants of 
each type of malicious software that there are bound to be examples of 
all 4 which could qualify as the answer.

Unfortunately, the bad guys are rude enough to disregard VCAA's neat 
definitions of software categories  :-)

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
School Phone +613 8520 9000
School Fax +613 95789253
kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au

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