IGCSE Information and Communication Technology (9–1) 0983 · Topic 8

Safety and security: past paper questions

24 real questionsasked in 8 of the last 10 exam series2021–2025usually: Explain, State, Describe, Compare, Give

Real questions on safety and security

The newest 20 of 24 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.

0983/11 · October/November 2025 · Q9c[2]
Data within the organisation needs to be protected. The organisation follows data protection legislation. Explain why data protection legislation is required.
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0983/11 · October/November 2025 · Q10a[4]
Describe what is meant by the term phishing.
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0983/11 · October/November 2025 · Q10b[3]
State three ways in which a user can attempt to prevent phishing attacks.
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q5a[3]
Electrocution
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q5b[3]
Trailing leads
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q6a[6]
Compare and contrast phishing and pharming.
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q6b(i)[2]
State two precautions that the user should take to protect their data from phishing attacks.
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q6b(ii)[2]
State two precautions that the user should take to protect their data from pharming attacks.
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q10a[3]
Explain what is meant by SSL.
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0983/12 · May/June 2025 · Q10b[1]
State how a user would know that SSL was being used on the website.
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0983/11 · October/November 2024 · Q8a[2]
Explain what is meant by a physical token. (a) When the student logs into the university computer system, a physical token is used as an authentication method.
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0983/11 · October/November 2024 · Q8b[6]
The student has received an email with an attachment. She needs to download the attachment and store it on her hard disk. Describe the steps that the student needs to take to ensure her data is kept safe when she downloads the attachment.
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0983/11 · October/November 2024 · Q9b[3]
State three physical safety issues that can be caused by using a computer.
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q2a[1]
Trailing leads in a computer room can cause
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q2d[1]
Spilling water onto computer equipment can cause
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q3a[2]
Explain what is meant by two-factor authentication.
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q3b[2]
State two examples of methods that could be used as part of two-factor authentication. Example Example
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q12a[2]
Explain what is meant by shoulder surfing.
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q12b[2]
Give two security improvements that could be made to reduce shoulder surfing.
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0983/12 · May/June 2024 · Q15[4]
Explain why data protection legislation is required.
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What examiners said

Candidates gave some good answers as to how the risks could be minimised. Some candidates wrote that drink should not be taken into a computer room but in order to gain credit they must go onto write that liquid should not be placed near the computer equipment.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0983/12 Q5(a) (Cambridge)

This part was more challenging than part (a) and dealt with trailing leads. Some candidates misread the question and thought trailing leads meant some kind of security issue – leading people to fake websites. Some candidates thought that trailing leads was about being scammed on the internet: giving answers like ‘do not allow unknown friend requests, and do not give personal information to strange...
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0983/12 Q5(b) (Cambridge)

This was fairly well answered by the candidates. In order to gain higher marks in this question, candidates need to give both similarities and differences between phishing and pharming as well as expanding on the original statements given. Some candidates made really good comments stating that phishing attacks originated from a legitimate looking email being received which contained a link that wa...
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0983/12 Q6(a) (Cambridge)

Practise this topic

Answer these questions online and get each one marked against the official mark scheme, with what you missed and how to fix it.

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In the syllabus

1 Physical safety

Including: electrocution from spilling drinks near electrical equipment and touching live cables, fire from sockets being overloaded or equipment overheating, tripping over trailing cables, heavy equipment falling and injuring people The causes of these safety issues and strategies for preventing them

2 0417.8.2.01 — The principles of a typical data protection act and why data protection legislation is required

The principles of a typical data protection act and why data protection legislation is required
Characteristics of personal and sensitive data including personal name, address, date of birth, a photograph in school uniform, medical history
The need for personal data to be kept confidential and protected to avoid inappropriate disclosure
The need for eSafety when using the internet, email, social media, online gaming Minimise the potential danger of using: The internet including only using trusted websites recommended by teachers, using a search engine that only allows access to age appropriate websites Email including an awareness of the potential dangers of opening or replying to an email from an unknown person
An awareness of the risks associated with sending personal identifiable data or images via email Social media including knowing how to block and report unwanted users, an awareness of the potential dangers of meeting an online contact face to face, avoiding the distribution of inappropriate images, avoiding the use of inappropriate language, respecting confidentiality of personal data of other people Online gaming including not using real names, not giving out personal or financial data

3 0417.8.2.02 — Characteristics of personal and sensitive data including personal name, address, date of birth, a photograph in school uniform, medical hist

Characteristics of personal and sensitive data including personal name, address, date of birth, a photograph in school uniform, medical history

4 0417.8.2.03 — The need for personal data to be kept confidential and protected to avoid inappropriate disclosure

The need for personal data to be kept confidential and protected to avoid inappropriate disclosure

5 0417.8.2.04 — The need for eSafety when using the internet, email, social media, online gaming Minimise the potential danger of using: The internet includ

The need for eSafety when using the internet, email, social media, online gaming Minimise the potential danger of using: The internet including only using trusted websites recommended by teachers, using a search engine that only allows access to age appropriate websites Email including an awareness of the potential dangers of opening or replying to an email from an unknown person

6 0417.8.2.05 — An awareness of the risks associated with sending personal identifiable data or images via email Social media including knowing how to block

An awareness of the risks associated with sending personal identifiable data or images via email Social media including knowing how to block and report unwanted users, an awareness of the potential dangers of meeting an online contact face to face, avoiding the distribution of inappropriate images, avoiding the use of inappropriate language, respecting confidentiality of personal data of other people Online gaming including not using real names, not giving out personal or financial data

7 0417.8.3.01 — Characteristics and effect of threats to data including hacking, phishing, pharming, smishing, vishing, viruses, malware, card fraud Hacking

Characteristics and effect of threats to data including hacking, phishing, pharming, smishing, vishing, viruses, malware, card fraud Hacking including the measures that must be taken in order to protect data Phishing, pharming, smishing, vishing including the methods that can be used to help prevent them Viruses and malware including how to take preventative action to avoid the danger of infecting a computer from a downloaded file Card fraud including shoulder surfing, card cloning, key logging
Characteristics and methods of protecting data including biometrics, digital certificate, secure socket layer (SSL), encryption, firewall, two-factor authentication, user id and password Biometrics including the use of biometric data Digital certificate including its purpose and contents Secure socket layer (SSL) including encrypted links between the server and the client computer Encryption including its purpose for the protection of data on hard discs, email, cloud, HTTPS websites Firewall including its purpose Two-factor authentication including its purpose and function User id and password including how they are used to increase the security of data

8 0417.8.3.02 — Characteristics and methods of protecting data including biometrics, digital certificate, secure socket layer (SSL), encryption, firewall, t

Characteristics and methods of protecting data including biometrics, digital certificate, secure socket layer (SSL), encryption, firewall, two-factor authentication, user id and password Biometrics including the use of biometric data Digital certificate including its purpose and contents Secure socket layer (SSL) including encrypted links between the server and the client computer Encryption including its purpose for the protection of data on hard discs, email, cloud, HTTPS websites Firewall including its purpose Two-factor authentication including its purpose and function User id and password including how they are used to increase the security of data

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