JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD B.Tech III CYBER SECURITY Previous Question Paper (July - 2023 - R16)

A cyber-attack is any deliberate, unauthorized attempt by an individual or organization to access, disrupt, destroy, or manipulate a computer system, network, or digital infrastructure. These attacks typically aim to steal sensitive information, compromise data integrity, or render services unavailable to legitimate users.

Cybercriminals are individuals or groups who utilize computer technology, the internet, and digital networks to commit illegal activities. These actors exploit vulnerabilities in software, hardware, or human behavior to gain unauthorized access to systems for malicious purposes.

Key characteristics of cybercriminals include:

• Motivation: Their primary goals typically include financial gain through theft or extortion, political activism (hacktivism), industrial espionage, or causing disruption to critical infrastructure.
• Methods: They employ various techniques such as phishing, malware deployment, ransomware attacks, identity theft, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
• Scope: Cybercriminals range from individual hackers working alone to highly organized international criminal syndicates that operate with structured hierarchies and specialized roles.