Passwords & Accounts
This type of software remembers all your passwords so you only need to memorize one.
What is a password manager?
You get an email from "Amaz0n Support" asking you to click a link and verify your payment info. The first thing you should check is this.
What is the sender's email address?
The part of a file name that comes after the dot — like .pdf, .jpg, or .docx — is called this.
What is a file extension?
The small lock icon next to a website's address in your browser tells you this about your connection.
What is an encrypted connection (using TLS / HTTPS)?
Details like your birthday, pet's name, and mother's maiden name are risky to share publicly on social media because they're commonly used as these:
What are security questions (for account recovery)?
This security feature sends a code to your phone or email as a second step when logging in, even after you enter your password.
What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?
This type of malicious software locks all the files on your computer and demands payment to unlock them.
What is ransomware?
This technology scrambles your files into unreadable gibberish so only someone with the right key or password can open them.
What is encryption?
These browser add-ons block ads, trackers, and malicious pop-ups before they reach you.
What are privacy extensions (or ad blockers)?
Social media platforms frequently change these, which is why you should review them regularly to control who sees your posts and personal info.
What are privacy settings?
Reusing the same password across multiple accounts is dangerous because if one account is breached, an attacker can now access ______.
What are your other accounts (that share that password)?
A website's address reads "www.bankofarnerica.com." The trick hiding in that URL is this.
What is a misspelled domain name (the "m" in America is replaced with "rn")?
Google Drive and Dropbox store your files on remote servers accessed through the internet. This general term describes that type of storage.
What is cloud storage?
Instead of clicking a Google ad for your bank's website, you should do this to make sure you reach the real site.
What is type the bank's web address directly into the browser's address bar?
A stranger sends you a friend request with a profile that has very few photos, no mutual friends, and was created recently. These are warning signs of this.
What is a fake or scam profile?
You get a notification that a website you have an account with has been hacked and user data was stolen. The very first thing you should do is this:
What is change your password on that site immediately (and on any other site where you used the same password)?
An email from your bank says "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours unless you act now!" This emotional pressure tactic is a hallmark of this type of attack.
What is phishing?
When you delete a file, the computer usually only removes its entry from this — meaning the actual data may still be on the drive.
What is the file ledger (file system / table of contents)?
A URL begins with the text before the first slash. In "https://accounts.google.com/signin," this is the part that tells you who actually owns the website.
What is "google.com" (the domain name)?
You see a post from a trusted friend that says "I just won a free iPad! Click this link to get yours!" The most likely explanation is this.
What is your friend's account has been hacked (or they shared a scam post)?
Your password manager offers to save a login, but you notice the website address in the password manager doesn't match the site you thought you were on. This mismatch is actually your password manager protecting you from this.
What is a phishing site (the password manager recognized the URL is fake and won't auto-fill your real credentials)?
You receive an email from your friend's actual email address with a strange attachment you weren't expecting. This is still potentially dangerous because of this:
What is a compromised or hacked account (your friend's account may have been taken over)?
Your hard drive is divided into these logical sections, each with its own file system — your computer might have one for the operating system and another for your personal files.
What are partitions?
You search for "free PDF converter" and click the first result. The download works, but your computer starts running slowly and showing pop-ups. The most likely explanation is this:
What is downloading malware (adware)?
Even after you delete a post or photo from social media, it may still exist because of these two things.
What are screenshots taken by others (or backups stored on the platform's servers)?