Security & Viruses

Explain identity theft for anyone with a Social Security number bank account or credit history, including unauthorized use of names SSNs bank details and identifying data, financial identity theft through credit cards loans and drained accounts, medical identity theft through care prescriptions equipment and insurance billing, tax identity theft through fraudulent refund returns, criminal identity theft through false police identification, synthetic identity theft combining real SSNs with fake details, data breaches phishing mail theft public Wi-Fi and weak reused passwords as common sources, credit freezes with Equifax Experian and TransUnion, unique passwords multi-factor authentication account and credit report monitoring, and warning signs like collection notices credit score drops denied credit and tax notices.

Explain malvertising on Windows Mac iPhone and Android, including malicious advertising through legitimate ad networks on normal websites search results mobile apps and games, fake infection popups fake software updates free paid-software downloads and malicious Download buttons, avoiding update or download buttons inside ads, using built-in popup blocking tracking protection ad blockers uBlock Origin uBlock Origin Lite Firefox Brave Chrome Safari and reputable extension stores, keeping browsers and operating systems updated, caution on free streaming pirated software media and online tool sites, force-closing trapped popups, deleting unrun downloads, treating entered passwords cards and phone numbers as phishing exposure, running full scans, resetting browsers after persistent popups, checking extensions and reporting malicious ads, understanding ad supply-chain resale and that malvertising does not mean the website itself was hacked.

Explain zero-day exploits for software apps phones computers browsers and smart devices, including vulnerabilities as software flaws, zero-day vulnerabilities unknown to the maker, exploits as code that takes advantage of flaws, zero-day attacks against real targets, patches ending zero-day status, why zero-days are expensive and often targeted at governments journalists corporations and high-value individuals, everyday users being more likely to face phishing and already-patched malware, installing operating system browser and app updates promptly, enabling automatic updates, no-click zero-day attacks and advanced spyware rarity, and using unique passwords multi-factor authentication updates and caution to reduce overall exposure.

Explain doxxing and protection steps for social media forums gaming and public online presence, including public release of real names home addresses workplaces phone numbers and family details without consent, harassment intimidation threats and real-world risk, information gathering from reused usernames LinkedIn property records old forum posts social media and data brokers like Whitepages and Spokeo, metadata and photo background location clues, doxxing by ex-partners former friends or acquaintances, opting out of data brokers, separating anonymous and real-name usernames, reviewing public social profile details, stripping location metadata or disabling camera location tags, using PO boxes or business addresses where possible, screenshotting posts URLs usernames and timestamps, reporting private information to platforms, changing passwords enabling two-factor authentication setting accounts private, and contacting law enforcement for stalking or threats.

Explain encryption across phones computers apps websites Wi-Fi messages and storage, including scrambling data with mathematical formulas and keys, ciphertext as unreadable scrambled data, correct keys restoring readable messages photos and files, automatic background encryption, protection if data is intercepted or a device is stolen, end-to-end encryption in iMessage and WhatsApp, HTTPS padlock encryption for website traffic, device storage encryption in iOS Android macOS and Windows, limits of encryption against phishing and scam websites, difference between in-transit encryption and end-to-end encryption where providers cannot read messages, and why strong unique passcodes and passwords make encryption effective.

Explain rootkits on Windows PCs Macs and mobile variants, including root access and system-level control, rootkits hiding themselves and other malware from normal process and file checks, administrator and system privileges, intercepting operating system functions, shielding keyloggers spyware and other tools, surviving normal antivirus cleanup and sometimes firmware resets, delivery through phishing malicious downloads unpatched vulnerabilities and pirated software, modern Secure Boot and kernel integrity protections, symptoms such as instability disabled security tools update failures unusual network activity and behavior after suspicious downloads, using reputable rootkit detection tools, and clean operating system reinstall or firmware updates for confirmed deep infections.

Explain website security certificates SSL and TLS certificates, including browser warnings like Your connection is not private, certificates proving encryption keys belong to the domain, certificate authorities trusted by browsers, browser checks for exact domains expiration and trusted issuers, expired certificate warnings, mismatched domain warnings, self-signed certificates, hotel airport and coffee shop Wi-Fi login pages, certificate warnings on bank email and shopping sites, why valid certificates do not prove a site or business is legitimate, scammers getting certificates for fake domains, and workplace or school certificates on managed devices for encrypted traffic inspection.

Explain spoofed phone numbers for mobile and landline callers, including fake caller ID showing local numbers companies government agencies friends coworkers or your own number, neighbor spoofing, angry callbacks from people who say your number called them, understanding spoofing happens on the caller side and does not mean your phone was hacked, checking outgoing call logs, voicemail notes during high callback volume, reporting to FTC, why changing numbers usually is unnecessary, turning on Silence Unknown Callers and carrier spam filtering, never trusting caller ID alone, calling organizations back using official websites or card numbers, Truth in Caller ID Act rules, legitimate business caller ID uses, STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication and Verified labels, and why blocking individual spoofed numbers rarely works.

Explain keyloggers on Windows PCs Macs and phones, including software and hardware keyloggers, keyloggers as spyware that records keystrokes passwords messages searches documents and card numbers before website encryption matters, installation through free downloads cracked apps email attachments phishing links and malicious bundles, background keystroke interception at operating system level, logs sent to attackers, physical USB keyboard devices requiring access, symptoms such as slowdowns high data usage disabled security software and unfamiliar account logins, password managers reducing typed passwords, multi-factor authentication limiting damage, scanning with Windows Security and reputable tools, and avoiding fake keylogger removal ads and popups.

Explain firewalls for Windows PCs Macs and home routers, including firewalls as network traffic checkpoints, differences from antivirus, blocking unsolicited incoming connections, using ports and application rules, network firewalls in routers and software firewalls on devices, outgoing traffic monitoring, checking Windows Firewall and network protection for Domain Private and Public profiles, checking Mac System Settings Network Firewall, checking router admin pages at common local addresses, avoiding disabling firewalls to fix connection problems, adding app exceptions instead, understanding automated internet scanning, limits against phishing and remote access scams, and why device firewalls matter on public Wi-Fi.