Why Systems Are Attacked exam questions

15 Pearson BTEC Digital Information Technology Component 3 exam-style questions on Why Systems Are Attacked (B1 Threats to data), 44 marks in all. Answer them on paper or print them, then open the mark schemes and example answers to see how each is marked.

1State / Give two2 marks

Linton Vale Funeral Service is a company of funeral directors. A former employee is one type of person who may carry out a personal attack on the company's systems.

State two other types of person who may carry out a personal attack on a company's systems.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for each correct type of person, up to a maximum of two marks from:

A current employee/member of staff who is unhappy/disgruntled
A customer/client with a complaint/grudge against the company
A supplier/contractor whose contract was ended
A person who was refused a job by the company
An ex-partner/relative/friend of an employee with a grudge
Someone with a personal dispute with a member of staff
A member of the public with a grudge against the company

Do not accept: former employee – this is the example given in the question

Do not accept: a rival company/competitor or someone stealing data to sell – these are industrial espionage and financial gain, not a personal attack

Accept any other appropriate response.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks2/2

A customer whose complaint the company ignored, and a member of staff who has been passed over for promotion.

Why: Customer with a complaint (1) and a current employee who is unhappy (1).

Some marks1/2

A customer whose complaint was ignored, and a rival funeral company that wants to win the same customers.

Why: Customer with a complaint (1); a rival company is industrial espionage, not a personal attack (0).

No marks0/2

A former employee who was dismissed, and a hacker who wants to steal customer data to sell it.

Why: Former employee repeats the example in the stem (0); selling stolen data is financial gain/data theft, not a personal attack (0).

2State / Give two2 marks

Lundale Optics designs and makes lenses for cameras and telescopes. A rival company has already stolen the designs for one of its new lenses.

State two other types of information a company may try to steal through industrial espionage.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for each correct type of information, up to a maximum of two marks from:

Trade secrets
Customer/client lists or details
Pricing information/price lists
Financial records/accounts
Business plans/strategies
Marketing plans/launch dates
Manufacturing processes/methods
Research/test results

Do not accept: designs – this is the example given in the question

Do not accept: reasons for an attack, e.g. financial gain, disruption or a personal attack

Accept any other appropriate response.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks2/2

Trade secrets and pricing information.

Why: Trade secrets (1) and pricing information (1).

Some marks1/2

Trade secrets and the designs for a new lens.

Why: Trade secrets (1); the designs are the example given in the question (0).

No marks0/2

To disrupt the rival company and to get revenge on a former employee.

Why: These are reasons for an attack, not types of information (0); revenge is a personal attack and is not what the question asks for (0).

3State / Give two2 marks

Fairholm Smokehouse is a food producer. A former employee hacked the company's ordering system after being dismissed.

State two other reasons why a person may carry out a personal attack on an organisation's systems.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for each correct reason, up to a maximum of two marks from:

To get revenge
To hold a grudge against the organisation
Because they are angry/upset about how they were treated
To cause embarrassment to the organisation
To damage the organisation's reputation
To make the organisation pay for unfair treatment

Do not accept: being dismissed – this is the example given

Do not accept: financial gain or disruption – these are not personal reasons

Accept any other appropriate response.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks2/2

To get revenge and to hold a grudge against the company.

Why: Get revenge (1) and hold a grudge (1).

Some marks1/2

To get revenge and to steal the company's customer data to sell.

Why: Get revenge (1); stealing data to sell is financial gain, not a personal reason (0).

No marks0/2

Because they were dismissed and to cause disruption to the company.

Why: Being dismissed repeats the example in the stem (0); causing disruption is not a personal reason (0).

4Explain one2 marks

Cavendish Bicycle Works is a company that designs and makes bicycles. The company stores the designs for its new bikes on its computer systems.

Explain one reason why a rival organisation may attack Cavendish Bicycle Works' systems.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for a correct reason and one mark for a justification, up to a maximum of two marks.

Industrial espionage (1) so it can steal the designs for the new bicycles (1)
To gain a competitive advantage (1) by copying the company's bikes and selling them first (1)
To steal trade secrets/intellectual property (1) which it can use to improve its own products (1)
To find out the company's future plans/pricing (1) so it can beat it in the market (1)
To sell the designs/company information to another company (1) which makes money for the rival (1)

Allow: reasons must show why a rival organisation would attack; 'to steal data' or 'to disrupt' only if it is linked to the rival organisation, e.g. to steal its designs or to delay the launch of its new bikes.

A justification that simply repeats the reason (e.g. 'competitive advantage' again) does not earn the second mark.

Allow mix and match if it makes sense.

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks2/2

Industrial espionage so that the rival can steal the designs of the new bikes and copy them

Why: Gives the reason (1) and a justification linked to it (1).

Some marks1/2

To gain a competitive advantage.

Why: Correct reason (1) but no justification for it, so only the first mark.

No marks0/2

For fun because the attacker wants a challenge

Why: Fun and challenge is a reason for attacking a system, but it is not a reason for a rival organisation to attack, so neither mark can be given.

5Explain one2 marks

Kestrelwood Holiday Park is a caravan and camping site. The company recently dismissed several members of staff. The park's booking system has since been attacked.

Explain one personal reason why an attacker may target the company's systems.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for a correct reason and one mark for a justification for that reason, up to a maximum of two marks.

A former employee holds a grudge (1) because they were dismissed/sacked by the company (1)
The attacker wants revenge (1) because they feel they were treated unfairly at work (1)
A guest/customer was unhappy with their stay (1) so they want to cause problems for the company (1)
A former employee was passed over for promotion (1) so they want to get their own back on the company (1)
Someone has a personal dispute with a member of staff (1) so they attack the company's systems to get at them (1)

Do not accept: 'to steal data'/'for financial gain' on its own, as this is a different reason for attacking a system, not a personal one.

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks2/2

A former employee may hold a grudge because they were sacked by the park and want to get their own back

Why: Gives the personal reason (1) and a justification for it (1).

Some marks1/2

They want revenge.

Why: Correct personal reason (1) but the second mark is not earned as there is no justification.

No marks0/2

So they can steal the guests' card details and sell them

Why: Stealing data for money is a different reason for attacking a system (data theft/financial gain), not a personal reason, so no marks.

6Explain one2 marks

Stonebridge Pet Insurance is a company that sells insurance policies through its website. The company's website was offline for a day after an attack.

Explain one reason why an attacker may want to disrupt Stonebridge Pet Insurance's systems.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for a correct reason and one mark for a justification for that reason, up to a maximum of two marks.

To stop the website working (1) so customers cannot buy policies and the company loses money (1)
To cause downtime (1) which means the company cannot operate normally (1)
To damage the company's reputation (1) as customers may go to a different insurer (1)
So customers cannot access their accounts (1) which makes the company look unreliable (1)
To stop the company taking new orders (1) which leads to a loss of earnings (1)

Do not accept: 'to steal customer data' on its own, as this is a different reason for attacking a system (data theft).

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks2/2

To stop the website working so that customers cannot buy policies and the company loses money

Why: Gives the reason (1) and a justification for it (1).

Some marks1/2

To cause disruption.

Why: Correct reason (1) but no justification, so only the first mark.

No marks0/2

To steal the customers' details so they can blackmail the company

Why: Data theft is a different reason for attacking a system and would not disrupt it, so no marks.

7Explain one3 marks

Ashcombe Theatre Company is a touring theatre company. It employs actors and backstage staff on short contracts. Its booking and payroll records are kept on the office network.

Explain one reason why a former employee may attack the company's systems.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for a correct reason, one mark for a justification for that reason and one mark for an expansion of the justification, up to a maximum of three marks.

They hold a grudge (1) because they were dismissed/the contract was not renewed (1) so they want to get their own back on the company (1)
They were treated badly (1) when they worked for the company (1) so they want to cause damage to the company (1)
They want revenge (1) because they lost their job (1) so they use what they know about the systems to attack them (1)
They know the systems (1) as they used them while they were employed (1) so they know where the weaknesses are (1)

Do not allow mix and match

Do not accept: reasons that are not personal, eg financial gain, fun/challenge

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks3/3

The former employee may hold a grudge against the company because they were dismissed from their job so they attack the systems to get revenge on the company.

Why: Creditworthy point (1), justification (1) and an expansion of the justification (1).

Some marks2/3

They may have a personal dispute with a manager because they feel they were treated unfairly while working there.

Why: Creditworthy point (1) and justification (1); no expansion of the justification.

No marks0/3

They may attack the systems for financial gain so that they can sell any customer data they steal.

Why: Financial gain is a different reason for attack, not a personal attack, so no marks.

8Explain one3 marks

Aldergrove Racecourse is a horse racing venue. It sells tickets for race days through its website and stores customers' names, addresses and card details.

Explain one reason why an attacker may steal data from the racecourse.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for a correct reason, one mark for a justification for that reason and one mark for an expansion of the justification, up to a maximum of three marks.

To sell the data (1) to criminals who pay for stolen personal/financial details (1) so the attacker makes money from it (1)
To blackmail the racecourse (1) by threatening to publish the stolen data (1) unless the racecourse pays to keep it secret (1)
To use customers' card details (1) to buy goods without paying for them (1) so the customers and the racecourse lose money (1)
To commit identity theft (1) by using customers' names and addresses (1) to take out loans/accounts in their name (1)

Do not allow mix and match.

Do not accept: other reasons for attack that do not involve stealing data, eg. disruption, fun or challenge.

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks3/3

To sell the data because there are criminals who pay for stolen card details which means the attacker makes money from it.

Why: Reason (1), justification (1) and an expansion of the justification (1).

Some marks2/3

To blackmail the racecourse because they can threaten to publish the customers' data.

Why: Reason (1) and a justification (1); there is no expansion of the justification, so the third mark is not awarded.

No marks0/3

For fun because the attacker wants to see if they can get into the racecourse's systems.

Why: Fun/challenge is a different reason for attack and does not explain why data would be stolen, so no marks.

9Explain one3 marks

Polmear Riding School runs lessons and pony trekking. It stores customers' names, addresses and card details on its booking system.

Explain one reason why an attacker may steal the school's customer data.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for a correct reason, one mark for a justification for that reason and one mark for an expansion of the justification, up to a maximum of three marks.

So they can sell the data (1) on the black market (1) as customers' names, addresses and card details are valuable (1)
To use the data for identity theft (1) as it contains customers' personal details (1) so they can take out credit in the customers' names (1)
To blackmail the school (1) by threatening to publish the stolen data (1) unless it pays them (1)
Because the data is valuable (1) to organised criminals (1) who will pay for it (1)

Do not allow mix and match

Do not accept: fun/challenge, disruption

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks3/3

They can sell the data on the black market because customers' card details are valuable to other criminals.

Why: Creditworthy point (1), justification (1) and an expansion of the justification (1).

Some marks2/3

To commit identity theft using the customers' personal details.

Why: Creditworthy point (1) and justification (1); no expansion of the justification.

No marks0/3

To cause disruption so that customers cannot book any more lessons.

Why: Disruption is a different reason for attack, not data/information theft, so no marks.

10Describe3 marks

Nessfield Marina is a marina where boat owners keep their boats. The marina stores customers' personal details and payment details on its systems. Last month an attacker stole a large amount of this data.

Describe why an attacker may want to steal the company's customer data.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

A description of reasons why an attacker may want to steal an organisation's data. To include three from

The data can be sold on the black market (1)
To organised criminals who pay for stolen data (1)
To commit identity theft/fraud using the customers' personal details (1)
To use the customers' payment details to take money from their accounts (1)
To blackmail/extort the company or its customers (1)
For financial gain (1)

Allow: identity theft/fraud and using the payment details as two separate points.

Do not accept: causing disruption/downtime to the company's services, as this is a different reason for an attack.

Accept any other appropriate response.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks3/3

The attacker can sell the data on the black market to organised criminals, use the customers' personal details to commit identity theft, and blackmail the marina by threatening to publish the data.

Why: Three separate creditworthy points: selling the data, identity theft, and blackmail.

Some marks2/3

The attacker could sell the customers' details on the black market or use their payment details to take money from their accounts.

Why: Two creditworthy points: selling the data, and using the payment details. No third reason is given.

No marks0/3

They want to cause disruption so that the marina cannot take any bookings.

Why: Gives disruption, which is a different reason for an attack and is named in the Do not accept line, so no point is credited.

11Describe3 marks

Norbury Bell Foundry is a small company that casts church bells. It keeps customers' payment details on its office network.

Describe why an attacker may attack the foundry's systems for financial gain.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

A description of financial gain as a reason for attacking a system. To include three from

To make money (1)
By stealing customers' payment/card details (1)
And using them to buy goods/take money (1)
Or selling the stolen details/data to someone else (1)
To demand a ransom/blackmail the company for payment (1)
To sell access to the company's systems to other criminals (1)
To commit fraud/identity theft for money (1)

Do not accept: attacking for fun/a challenge or to cause disruption.

Accept any other appropriate response.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks3/3

They may steal customers' payment details and sell them to other criminals, or use the card details to buy goods for themselves.

Why: Three creditworthy points: stealing payment details, selling the stolen data, and using the card details.

Some marks2/3

They want to make money by stealing the customers' card details.

Why: Two creditworthy points: making money and stealing card details, but no third financial-gain point.

No marks0/3

They attack the system for fun, to see if they can get into it.

Why: Gives fun/challenge, which is a different reason for an attack, so no point is credited.

12Describe3 marks

Norbury Precision Engineering designs and makes parts for aircraft engines. A rival company has been accused of industrial espionage against Norbury Precision Engineering.

Describe what is meant by industrial espionage.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

A description of what is meant by industrial espionage. To include three from

Stealing business information/trade secrets/intellectual property
It is carried out by a rival organisation/competitor
To gain a competitive advantage/unfair advantage over the company
To produce counterfeit copies/fake versions of the company's products
By hacking/malware/phishing to gain unauthorised access

Do not accept: demanding a ransom to unlock files, as this is extortion and a different reason for an attack; or 'another company' on its own as the rival organisation point.

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks3/3

A rival organisation steals trade secrets, such as the designs for aircraft parts, to gain a competitive advantage.

Why: Three creditworthy points: a rival organisation (1), stealing trade secrets (1) and gaining a competitive advantage (1).

Some marks2/3

It is when a company steals business information from another company to gain a competitive advantage.

Why: Two creditworthy points: stealing business information (1) and gaining a competitive advantage (1). 'Another company' on its own is not credited as the rival organisation point.

No marks0/3

It is when a hacker locks the company's files and demands a payment to unlock them.

Why: Describes extortion/ransomware, a different reason for an attack, so no point is credited.

13Explain two4 marks

Mickleover Marina rents moorings to boat owners. It has an online booking system that customers use to reserve a mooring. The marina relies on the booking system to take all its reservations.

Explain two ways an attack on the marina's systems could cause disruption.

[4 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for each correct way an attack could cause disruption and one mark for a justification of each way, up to a maximum of four marks.

Sending large amounts of traffic to the website (DDoS) (1) so the site slows down/crashes and customers cannot book a mooring (1)
Taking the booking system/servers offline (1) so staff cannot check/record which moorings are available (1)
Defacing the website (1) so customers cannot use it to make a booking/may go to another marina (1)
Tampering with/deleting booking data (1) so records are wrong/lost and bookings cannot be managed (1)
Locking the booking system/files with ransomware (1) so staff cannot access the booking records (1)
Changing the website so it shows wrong prices/availability (1) so customers are misled/cannot book correctly (1)

Allow mix and match if the response makes sense

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks4/4

An attacker could send large amounts of traffic to the marina's website in a DDoS attack so the site slows down and customers cannot book a mooring. They could also deface the website so customers cannot use it to make a booking and may go to another marina.

Why: DDoS identified (1) and justified (1); defacing identified (1) and justified (1).

Some marks2/4

An attacker could take the booking system offline so staff cannot check which moorings are free. They could also steal the customers' payment details.

Why: Taking the booking system offline identified (1) and justified (1); stealing payment details is data theft, not a way of causing disruption, so earns no marks.

No marks0/4

Attackers could steal all the customers' bank details and sell them to other criminals so they make money.

Why: This is data theft and financial gain, not a way of causing disruption, so no mark scheme point is met.

14Explain two4 marks

Merrivale Auction House sells antiques on behalf of its clients. It stores details of its customers and their payments on its systems.

Explain two reasons why an attacker might steal data from the company.

[4 marks]

Mark scheme

Award one mark for each correct reason and one mark for a justification of each reason, up to a maximum of four marks.

To sell the data (1) as there is a black market for names/addresses/financial details (1)
For financial gain by blackmailing/extorting the company (1) so that the company pays them to keep the data private/return it (1)
To commit identity theft (1) so they can use customers' details to take out credit/loans in their name (1)
To commit fraud (1) as they can use customers' bank/card details to buy goods (1)
To target customers with scams (1) as they can use their details to make the messages look genuine (1)

Do not accept disruption/slowing down the systems.

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks4/4

The attacker could sell the data as there is a black market where criminals pay for names and bank details. They could also blackmail the auction house by threatening to publish the data unless they are paid.

Why: Two reasons (selling the data, blackmail) each with a justification that explains why the attacker wants the data.

Some marks2/4

They might want to commit identity theft so they can pretend to be one of the customers. They could also do it to embarrass the company.

Why: Identity theft is identified and justified (2 marks); embarrassing the company is not a reason for data theft in the mark scheme, so the second sentence gains nothing.

No marks0/4

They would steal the data so they can slow the website down and stop the auction from taking place.

Why: This describes disruption, which the mark scheme says is not accepted, so no mark is awarded.

15Discuss6 marks

Otterbourne Boat Sales is a company that sells new and used boats. Customers pay deposits and balances through its website, and their card details are stored on the company's systems.

Discuss why Otterbourne Boat Sales' systems might be attacked for financial gain.

[6 marks]

Mark scheme

Responses will be credited according to the learner's demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the material, using the indicative content and level descriptors below.

The indicative content that follows is not prescriptive. Responses may cover some or all indicative content, but learners should be rewarded for other responses.

Discussion may consider

To steal customers' card details – these can be sold to criminals or used to make fraudulent purchases
Because large deposits and payments are handled – the details are worth more to an attacker than data from a low-value business
To hold the systems to ransom – the attacker may encrypt booking and payment records and demand money to unlock them
Because the website is how boats are sold – the company may pay quickly to avoid losing sales while it is offline
To blackmail the company – the attacker may threaten to publish customers' details unless it pays
Because stolen data is bought by organised criminals – attackers are paid for the data they hand over
To commit fraud – stolen details could be used to take out credit in a customer's name
Because the company holds many customer records – a larger amount of data can be sold for more money

Levels

Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable content
Level 1 (1–2 marks): Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding; there will be major gaps or omissions; Few of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question; Limited discussion which contains generic assertions rather than considering different aspects and the relationship between them
Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates some accurate knowledge and understanding; with only minor gaps or omissions; Some of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question, but the link will not always be clear; Displays a partially developed discussion which considers some different aspects and some consideration of how they interrelate, but not always in a sustained way
Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates mostly accurate and thorough/detailed knowledge and understanding; Most of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question, and there will be clear links; Displays a well-developed and logical discussion which clearly considers a range of different aspects and considers how they interrelate, in a sustained way

Example answers and how they were marked

Full marks6/6

One reason the company's systems might be attacked is to steal customers' card details, as these can be sold on the black market to criminals who then use them to make fraudulent purchases. Boat sales involve large deposits and balances, so the details are worth more to an attacker than those taken from a shop selling cheap items. Another reason is to hold the systems to ransom, because if the attacker encrypts the booking and payment records the company may pay to get them back. Every day the website is offline means lost sales and customers going elsewhere, so a company that sells only through its website is under more pressure to pay quickly. Attackers may also blackmail the company by threatening to publish customers' details, and the damage to its reputation could cost as much as the ransom itself.

Why: Level 3: most points are relevant to Otterbourne Boat Sales, with clear links between the value of the data, the ransom and the lost sales; a well-developed and sustained discussion of several aspects and how they interrelate.

Some marks4/6

The company stores customers' card details on its booking system, so an attacker could steal them and sell them to make money. An attacker might also lock the company's systems with ransomware and then demand a payment to unlock them. The company might pay this so that it can carry on selling boats. Attackers could use the stolen details to commit fraud as well.

Why: Level 2: some accurate points that are relevant to the company, each briefly explained, but the discussion is only partially developed and the link between the points is not made clear, so it sits at the top of the band.

Some marks1/6

Hackers attack systems for financial gain because they want money. They might also do it for fun or the challenge.

Why: Level 1: isolated elements of knowledge with a major gap, and only a generic assertion that is not applied to Otterbourne Boat Sales; naming fun or the challenge as well shows confusion with a different reason for attacking systems.

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